Hidden Feelings
by tutriceange
Summary: Edward is the popular jock that everyone expects him to be. But no one know what's really under the surface. Bella has a happy life, but thinks something is missing. Will the be able to admit to their true feelings, or keep them hidden? ON HIATUS...
1. Chapter 1

**DISCLAIMER: Stephanie Meyer owns all the characters in this story.**

I was thinking about this story for a while now. Edward always is trying to protect Bella and save her from everything he can. But what if it was him who needed the saving from something that haunted him. Let me know what you think!

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****Bella's POV**

I woke up to the sound of my alarm clock beeping like always. I groaned and slammed my palm on it. I groggily opened my eyes and sat up in my bed. I swung my legs over the side of the bed and shuffled my way to the bathroom.

After I took an extremely hot shower, I brushed my teeth and got dressed. I started fixing my hair when I heard my phone go off. I picked it up of my dresser and saw that it was a text from Alice. "Don't wear a pink top cause I was going to. Oh, and do something creative with your hair."

I laughed as I closed my phone. Only Alice would be so worried that we would match that she would text me in the morning just to make sure. It had only been happening recently, but I really didn't care. It was just Alice.

She was my best friend and had been ever since middle school when I met her. We bonded quickly and formed an instant friendship that only grew stronger after the things we went through. The mean girls in middle school, not making the dance team, all those little things that seem so trivial until something big happens. Alice's father died. He died when we were just starting our first year of high school. It was a car accident; he had been hit by a drunk driver. Alice fell apart after that. She didn't have anyone anymore—except me that is. Her mother had died during childbirth, or at least that's what Charlie, Alice's dad, always told her. Alice always secretly thought that her mother had left shortly after she was born and Charlie couldn't bear to tell her that her mother didn't want her.

But that didn't keep Alice down for too long. She lived with me and my Mom for a while. But then the stupid child services people had to come and tell us that she needed to go to her legal guardian. I never knew who that would be, but I figured she was going to have to go and live with one of her dad's relatives. However, we were both shocked to find out that Dr. Cullen was her legal guardian. That's how Alice Randolph became Alice Cullen.

She was happy now—happy as she could ever be. And I think that Dr. and Mrs. Cullen understand that. They understood when she first came to live with them that she didn't need new parents, she just needed people who would love her and care about her. Sometimes I wonder how Alice could be so happy after everything she went through.

I wasn't wearing a pink top, so I didn't have to change. But I glanced at my hair. I suppose I could do something with it, but what? I glanced over at a picture of me and my friends. There was Jasper, Alice, me, Rosalie, and Emmett. I smiled at it. They were my best friends. Rose and Jasper Hale were brother and sister, which made it a little awkward—but it worked on Friends right? Monica and Ross didn't really fight or anything.

Then there's Emmett Cullen. He is now Alice's brother of sorts. He was adopted by Dr. and Mrs. Cullen. So they really aren't related. And Emmett and I were the only people who understood why Alice had opted to take their name. It wasn't like she was trying to forget about her dad—that wasn't it at all. I saw proof of that when she cried at every holiday, his birthday, the day he died, and everything she accomplished that she couldn't tell him about. But she had changed her name so she felt like she belonged. If she stayed with the Cullens, but kept her last name, it would only be more proof that she didn't have a family anymore.

I finally turned back to the mirror and picked up a headband. I shoved it into my hair. Hopefully that was enough for Alice. I just shook my head again at my best friend's irrational need to "beautify" me. I grabbed my bad and headed out the door to get to school.

I passed my mom, Renee, as I headed for the door. "Have a good day Mom!"

"I will! Oh, Bella, Phil and I are going out to dinner tonight so we should be home around ten." My mom had married Phil about five years ago. They are both so happy and Phil is great. I do really like him. But, he's not my father. I don't really know why this bothers me so much. I never met my father—I don't even know if he knows that I exist. My mother never talks about it and every time I tried to bring it up she would just tell me that it didn't matter, or she didn't really remember.

I know she is just trying to protect me, but I still feel like I have a right to know. He is my father after all. I've always felt like a piece of me, or something was missing. I doubt that he would want anything to do with me, but I still wanted to know about him. But I've finally learned to accept the fact that I will never know him or anything about him.

I smiled back at my mother. "Alright, I'll see you then." And I walked out the door.

The whole ride to school I thought about a lot of things: my father, my mother, Alice, her father, the Cullens. Just everything. I wanted to know why I feel like something is missing when I shouldn't. I mean, I have a good life with my mother and Phil. And I have the best friends in the whole world. But I still feel like a part of me is missing. I would never tell anyone that though, least of all Alice. She has been through so much and is still so happy. And I have been through nothing and can't really feel happy. I'm not depressed or anything, and I am happy, but just not in the way that everyone else is.

I walked into the old school building like I do every morning. It was always the same crowd, same people, and the same scene. I walked to my locker to retrieve my books and shoved them into my backpack.

"Hey Bella," a twinkling, high pitch voice called to me.

"Hi Alice. Did you finish that Trig assignment?" I asked her because I knew that was her hardest subject.

She just snorted and said, "That's what I have you for!"

I laughed at her and sighed. "I suppose we should go and work on it then."

She smirked and began walking away. I followed her, acting exasperated, even though we both knew that I wasn't. I didn't want to work on Trig as much as she didn't and that's why I followed her to the courtyard to meet up with our other friends.

As we walked outside I saw Rosalie snuggling up to Emmett. Even though I pretended that it bothered me, I was secretly jealous. I wished that I had an Emmett—well not exactly Emmett, but a boyfriend of my own. I've had a few guys here and there, but I wanted the feeling that Rose and Emmett so obviously shared: love. As I watched them, I thought that maybe that was what I felt was missing.

I sat down on the bench and looked over where Jasper and Alice were talking about something or other. I smiled and shook my head. They both liked each other but we too afraid of risking their friendship to say or do anything about it. Although, I had a feeling Jasper was going to crack soon because Alice had recently been getting some attention from Mike Newton. However, that really didn't say anything because Mike had been doing the same thing to me since freshman year. Boys and their hormones.

The bell rang signaling first period. We all groaned and got up. I said goodbye to them as I began making my way across the courtyard to the Math building. While Alice and I both had Trig on our schedules, we had it different hours. I, of course, got stuck with first hour.

I walked in and took my usual seat in the back of the classroom. I dug out my book and notebook and began searching frantically for a pencil. After two minutes of searching, I gave up, realizing that I didn't have one.

I glanced at the boy sitting next to me staring down at his notebook. Edward Masen, the popular jock. I had no reason to believe that he was mean or anything. He definitely wasn't like the other boys he hung around with.

"Hey…do you have a pencil?" I whispered hesitantly.

He turned to me and nodded. He reached into his bad to grab one and handed it to me.

I smiled in thanks and he smiled back. He was so gorgeous, but that wasn't news to anyone. He was the object of almost every girl's affection at this school. But he never seemed to notice it. Which was weird, but whatever. It's his life.

I turned back to the board and began copying down the problems on the board. I heard Edward clear his throat and tap my shoulder, so I turned to him.

"Is that a pen on your desk?" He asked me with a weird expression on his face.

I immediately blushed and tried to stammer out an answer. "Yeah…but…I…um…I need to take math notes in pencil." I sighed and looked down. "I don't know…" Damn my stupid anal personality.

To my surprise, he didn't laugh at me like I thought he would. He just smirked and said, "I'm the same way."

I looked up at him, hoping my face wasn't still red and that I wasn't showing him the shock I so clearly felt. I gave him a small smile and whispered my thanks again before turning back to the board.

That was the only real interaction I've ever had with Edward. I mean, I've seen him at parties and he's said hi to me, but that's only because he's friends with Emmett. But I actually learned something about him, so that counts as an interaction.

I spent the entire hour going over that interaction in my head, thinking over everything. The way his lips moved when he spoke and how he tried to hide the amusement on his face when he found the pen on my desk. But his eyes, they were piercing green and I felt like he could see right through me when he looked into my eyes. But I felt like I saw something else there. Maybe he was just tired or something. I tried to shrug it off, but I kept thinking about them. I was so lost in thought that I jumped when the bell rang at the end of the hour. I heard a snicker beside me and realized Edward was laughing at me. I glared at him, but couldn't bring myself to be angry with him. I gave up and tried a smile.

"Please tell me you weren't thinking about Trig that deeply," he told me with a smirk.

I rolled me eyes at his response. "No, I was not thinking about Trig." I shook my head and began to walk away.

Edward fell into step beside me as we exited the classroom. "So…what were you thinking about then?"

I felt my face begin to heat up and I looked down. The one time I actually really thought about Edward Masen and I got caught. By Edward himself none-the-less. "Nothing," I whispered.

But, of course, Edward didn't buy that. He just laughed and said, "Come on, Bella. I saw you jump when you heard the bell ring. Your eyes weren't closed so you obviously were sleeping, which only proves the fact that you were thinking." He just smiled at me now.

I just stared at him as I stood by my locker. I couldn't understand why he was talking to me, let alone walking with me to my locker. But I couldn't overlook the fact that he had called me by my first name. I turned away from him and began opening my locker.

He sighed. "Okay, I'll let it go. Maybe you'll tell me some other time?"

I looked back at him and saw a hopeful look on his face. Why was he hopeful to talk to me again? I was just plain and ordinary. He was Edward, pretty much the prince of this school. I finally gave into his look. "Maybe."

He face broke into a big smile, which I couldn't help but return. "Okay, that's fair. I'll see you later Bella." He was still smiling as he turned away.

I just watched him go as I whispered, "Bye Edward."

What the hell just happened? Why did he want to know what I was thinking about? Why did he follow me to my locker? Why did he look so happy when I told him that I might tell him later? But most importantly, why can't I get his eyes out of my head. I groaned and slammed my locker shut. It was going to be a long day.

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A/N: So this is just the intro chapter. The next chapter is going to be all about Edward. This chapter and the next are probably the only two that are going to be this long cause I need to get in all the background info!

The next update should be up soon because I'm pretty sure I know what I want to happen...

Please review and let me know what you think...I'd really appreciate it! :)


	2. Chapter 2

So here's chapter two. It's all about Edward. This story, as of right now, is mostly going to be about Edward. I'm sorry I didn't start with him, but I couldn't find a good way to introduce him but I was feeling inspired by Bella, so I just went with it.

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**Edward's POV**

For some reason, I couldn't stop the smile that spread on my face after I left Bella at her locker. But this smile, it felt different—natural, like a smile is supposed to feel like. It wasn't forced or fake. It was genuine. I haven't felt that in a long time. It had been so long since I let the mask down.

"Edward!" It was a squeaky, irritating voice that made me cringe. Jessica Stanley.

I turned to her, giving her a smile. "Hi Jessica. What's up?" I asked her politely. It wasn't that Jessica was a bad person, she was just annoying, but I had to be her friend. She was part of the cheerleading team. What the hell was with that unspoken rule that all jocks and cheerleaders must be friends or a couple. It's still something that I still don't understand.

She smiled at me and put her arm through mine. I wanted to roll my eyes, but that wouldn't help keeping up the appearances. So I let her lead me through the hallway to her next class. It kind of made me angry that she always assumed that I liked when she would do stuff like that. She was always trying to hold my hand or touch my leg under the lunch table almost like we were a couple. I really hated it. But I couldn't say anything about it.

She was talking about something that was super important to her that I really couldn't care less about. She was probably giving me a play-by-play of her latest shopping trip. But when she stopped next to the door to her classroom she turned to me and said something that finally captured my attention.

"Why were you talking to Bella Swan?" She asked me, with an accusation in her eyes.

I fought the urge to laugh at her accusation. "Nothing you need to know about. Why does it matter to you?"

"Edward. We're practically going out and you're off flirting with some other girl. A girl who's a freak!" she spat at me in disgust.

This time I did roll my eyes. "Jessica, we're not going out. And I wasn't flirting with her; I was just talking to her. She's not a freak, she's actually really nice.

Jessica just glared at me when I said that. "You just better be careful Edward. If you start hanging out with or talking to the wrong people, you'll no longer be part of our group." And with that she spun on her heel and stormed into the classroom.

I just turned and walked away. That was another rule I hated the one that everyone could only talk with and hang out with the people that were in their group. I had been going to this school for close to three years and I was still trying to accept the rules that went along with being part of the "popular" group. I never wanted this life or to be this person. But like I said, I'm good at putting up the front that everyone wants and expects to see. Everyone expects me to be Edward Masen the amazing football player who always gets really good grades and is extremely attractive. But that's not who I really am. I really want to be able to find out how I am and show that to the world. And that's the thought that kept nagging me throughout the rest of the day.

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I drove my silver Volvo into the driveway of the house I now lived in. It wasn't a home, it was just a house—a place where I slept, ate, and lived, but there was nothing there that comforted me. That's what I've always heard people say when they talk about their home. It's a place where you are extremely comfortable and like to be. This house was neither for me. To be honest, I've never had a home. It's always been houses.

My first house had been with my real parents, although they weren't really parents at all. They didn't love me or care about me. I was an accident and that's how they treated me. My mother barely talked to me because she was upset that I wasn't a girl but that's her shit to deal with. My father, he just hated my existence in general. But they both loved to keep up the appearance of a nice, happy home. I followed along because I didn't know any differently.

While my mother hated me, she tried to hate me in secret. She talked to me when she had to, but she never truly came out and said anything as to why she didn't like me. My father, he hated me and told me so regularly. He would hit me and beat me whenever I didn't do something right or the way he expected it to be done. But, no matter how many times he hit me, he never left a mark on a visible part of skin, nor did he hurt me so badly that I needed hospital attention. That would have ruined their "perfect" family image. Is that fucked up or what?

After awhile, I stopped caring about the pain and the way he hit me. I stopped caring about the way my parents treated me. I just stopped caring and nothing affected me anymore. I started even trying to fight back against my father, but it never did anything because he was a man twice my size. But even though it didn't help physically, it helped me get some of my own back. I didn't feel like a victim anymore. I was still going through it, but it no longer bothered me. I know that's not what was supposed to happen. I was supposed to break and be afraid but I wasn't. I simply…outgrew that fear. I was different in some way, being able to survive that while still being subjected to it. I'm sure some therapist somewhere would have a field day with me.

About a month before my fifteenth birthday, my parents left for the night. Or maybe they were planning on being gone for a few days. My mother would always say that they went away to have time for just each other, but I knew that was a lie. It was a subtle way of punishing me since there was never any heat or air conditioning in our house, nor was there a lot of food. But I didn't mind it so much; it was the only time I ever got to be alone and be myself. Well, at least who I thought I was.

But that night, as I sat on the couch, I heard a key jingling in the lock. I looked over my shoulder as my Aunt Elizabeth stumbled through. She glanced at me, a look of determination in her eyes. "Edward, quickly go and pack your things," she ordered.

I got up off the couch and packed my things in my backpack. It didn't take me long because I didn't have that much; my parents weren't ones to waste money on things they thought were useless, which pretty much meant anything I wanted that I didn't absolutely need. I slung my bag over my shoulder and walked into the living room. Elizabeth was standing right by the door.

"Hurry along now, Edward. We don't have much time." She said as she gestured me to follow her outside.

That's when I finally understood. I was going to be leaving this house. I was going away with Elizabeth and was going to finally be happy. Everything was going to work out just right. Part of me wonders what would have happened if I stayed there. I know it wouldn't have been pleasant, but I was still able to be myself in some ways, I was just hit for the things that weren't completely acceptable.

The changes started as soon as I entered her one bedroom apartment that night. As soon as we had walked through the door, she was already ordering me to go and shower, brush my teeth, and change. I did as I was told because she was the person who took me away. I tried to push that strange feeling I felt away, the feeling that this wasn't what I was thinking it was going to be.

When I walked out of the bathroom a little while later, Elizabeth had already packed up most of the things in her apartment, which surprisingly took up only four bags. She looked up at me and told me to take the bags out to her car.

When I had finished taking her things out to the car, Elizabeth met me outside. She got in her car and I followed her. I knew she was taking me somewhere else, but she didn't tell me where. I didn't really ask either. We were mostly silent for the trip until we passed a sign that welcomed us into Washington. That's when she began telling me exactly what was going to happen.

I was her son and she was my mother—my birth mother. She told me that she had already had her name changed and was going to change my last name to match her new one of Masen. She kept telling me that I was going to do as I was told because she wanted to have a perfect son. And at that moment, I knew that this life was going to the same as my old life: a charade, something that is meant to look as one thing and is really something else. She continued telling me about the high school I was going to. I really didn't care.

She finally stopped talking when we pulled into a driveway of a yellow house. It was two-stories and looked very charming. It had a large backyard and beautiful garden in front of the house. I kind of liked the idea of living in this house. It seemed very warm and welcoming and I was hoping that it was going to be somewhere I would be able to call my home.

Everything seemed fine for the first two months. She even celebrated my birthday in August. But everything changed one day. She came home from work and told me that I was going to be joining the football team. I hated football which is why it sucked that she moved me to a small town like Forks because I was worried that I would just make it because of the lack of people. Even I wasn't prepared for the fact that I was actually really good at football, which just made everything worse for me.

After the football incident, Elizabeth kept telling me exactly what I was supposed to do and who I was supposed to be friends with. She even started telling me who I was supposed to date. Because I was stupid, I just followed whatever she told me. I don't know why really. I guess it was just easier to go along with what she said because I was dealing with my own problems.

Ever since leaving my parents, I have dreams about the years I lived with them. Sometimes they are fine, just like regular dreams. Other times, they're not and I wake up in a state of panic. I can't really say why I have them, I thought I was done being afraid of that time, but I suppose that stuff never really leaves you alone until you deal with it—and I was never going to talk about it. Especially not with Elizabeth.

And that's how I became this boy that everyone expects me to be. But I just wanted to find out who I really was.

I sighed as I got out of the car and walked into the house. It wasn't warm or inviting as I once thought it. It was cold and prison-like. I had to do what Elizabeth said because it was just easier than when she went into one of her fits. I shuddered at that thought and went straight to my room. It was around 5:30 because I had just got done with football practice. Elizabeth was probably on her way home with some sort of food.

I groaned and took out my homework. I figured it would just be easier to work on it now and get it done with than to wait and get yelled at for being up too late. I was working on it for a half hour before I heard her opening the door downstairs. She yelled to me to come and eat. I groaned because the last thing I wanted to do was go and make small talk with Elizabeth, but that's exactly what I went to do. I just hoped that it would be pleasant for once and not just about her telling me what I'm doing wrong.

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A/N: Please review because I like to get feedback! I would totally love it! :)

If you have any questions, suggestions, or anything at all, don't hesitate to pm me! :)

~Sara


	3. Chapter 3

**Hey Everyone! So, this is the third chapter! I hope you like it! Oh, Stephanie Meyer owns all...sadly.****BPOV**

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"Bella, are you ok? You're staring off into space again." I heard Alice tell me.

I just smiled and said, "Yeah, I'm fine. I just had a little bit of a late night." I had kept thinking of Edward and the worry or pain or something that I saw in his eyes. It was driving me crazy that I couldn't figure it out. I'm normally really good at stuff like that—no, I'm great at stuff like that. I'm the person everyone comes to when something is wrong. If they don't admit it, I can always tell what they are feeling by looking at them. So you can see why it was driving me crazy that I couldn't figure it out.

It's not like I wanted to think about Edward Masen this much. I mean, don't get me wrong, he is incredibly amazing to look at, but I don't even know him. It's making me feel all stalker-ish that I keep thinking about him.

I glanced around the courtyard, determined to stop thinking about that look in his eyes. God, I just want to know what it was—no. No, I don't. I don't care what Edward was thinking about. He's not my friend.

I looked over at Rose and Emmett, who were of course cuddling up next to each other and sharing an intimate conversation. I heard Alice tell Jasper that she was running to the bathroom. I turned and took a seat next to him, figuring it was time to play Dr. Phil again.

"Jasper, you have to tell her how you feel," I told him quietly. I didn't want him to think I was forcing him or anything, but I knew they both wanted it. I wish I could just tell Jasper this, but Alice would kill me if she ever found out that I told him.

Jasper sighed and looked down into his hands. "I don't know Bella. I mean, I really want to. Alice is the sweetest and most amazing girl I've ever met, but she's one of my best friends. I know that if things didn't work out, our group wouldn't be the same." He put his head in his hands.

It hurt me to see Jasper so upset and torn. I knew he really had no reason to feel this way since Alice clearly liked him, but boys are oblivious to those kinds of things. "Jasper," I sighed, "You have to tell her how you feel. You know no matter what happens between you two, we would all still be friends. And besides, I think you guys would be great together. You are so similar and you are best friends." He picked his head up and looked at me, but he still had discouragement in his eyes. I knew it was time for a serious threat. "Fine, don't talk to her. But when you don't ask her out, what are you going to do when Tyler or Mike comes along and asks her out. By that time you won't be able to tell her how you truly feel. You know, the homecoming dance is coming up…" I know that's a low blow, but seriously, something needs to happen.

That definitely caught his attention and I saw a look of determination in his hazel eyes. "Those pieces of scum don't deserve a girl like Alice." He sighed as he saw Alice walking back toward us. His face broke out into a grin when she smiled at him. "You're right Bella. I'm going to talk to her."

"Hey guys!" Alice called cheerfully. "Did you miss me?"

"Every moment without you is like a personal hell," I replied sarcastically. I noticed Jasper's nervous fidget and decided to make my exit. "I forgot something in my locker for first period, so I'll catch up with you guys later." I knew it was a lame excuse, but whatever. Jasper looked up at me and I gave him a smile of encouragement before I left.

I shook my head as I walked. Those two, they are so in love with each other but so oblivious to the fact the other feels the same way. I twisted my lock to put in the combination. I really hope Jasper goes through with it. I know the remark about some other guy going out with Alice was the only way he would do anything about it. I started digging through my locker, making sure I had everything—after all I was supposed to have forgotten something.

"BELLA!!" I heard Alice's soprano voice shriek.

I turned around with the shock probably plastered on my face. Alice was literally sprinting toward me with an almost scary smile on her face. I was afraid for my life at that moment. "Alice…what's wrong?" I asked her.

"Wrong? Nothing could possibly be wrong at this point!" She beamed at me and I noticed Jasper slowly making his way toward us; he walked to meet us, unlike Alice. I smiled slowly, knowing what Alice was about to say. "Jasper asked me to go to the homecoming dance with him!"

I smiled as she pulled me into a hug. "Wow, that's great Alice. I told you you had nothing to worry about." I winked at Jasper over Alice's shoulder and he smiled a big, goofy smile back at me.

"I know! It's so wonderful! I can't wait! We'll have to go shopping this weekend. I can't show up on the arm of Jasper Hale looking like last season!" I laughed. Only Alice would immediately think of what she was going to wear literally moments after being asked to the dance.

"Don't worry, Alice. You'll find the perfect dress. We'll even go this weekend." As I said this she beamed at me. We both groaned as we heard the bell. "Alright Alice, I'll see you at lunch. Bye Jasper."

I heard them both yell goodbye as I turned to walk toward my first period class. I couldn't help but smile for my two best friends. If anyone deserved happiness, it was definitely Alice. And I was incredibly happy it was with someone like Jasper. I walked into my Trig classroom and took my usual seat. I took out Edward's pencil that I borrowed yesterday and set it on his desk—he wasn't here yet. I turned back to my desk and began taking out the things I would need for this class.

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**EPOV**

Today was just like any other day. I woke up on time and got to school on time. And just like every day, I had the hyena pack waiting for me at my locker: Jessica, Lauren, and Tanya. With that stupid homecoming dance coming up, those three never left me alone. I knew they were all waiting for me to ask one of them, but I had no desire to. I quickly went to my locker, said hello and then tuned them out when they all started talking about the dance. I grabbed my things as quickly as I could and made some excuse about needing to go to the library. I walked off before any of them had taken a breath.

I walked out to the courtyard, sitting on bench under a tree. I forgot how nice it is out here—when it's not raining, which it hasn't for the last two days. The sky, however, was completely gray, but it wasn't too cold. I looked around the courtyard, looking at all the people who congregated out here.

I immediately saw her, Bella, sitting with her friends. There was that Rosalie girl practically intertwined with Emmett. Emmett was pretty cool—we were on the football team together. I always wondered why he hung out with the people he did, instead of me and my "friends." But seeing those two together, you know they are completely in love. Emmett would do anything for Rosalie. I looked over and saw that faerie girl; I think her name is Alice, sitting next to that other boy. What's his name…Jason, Jackson…no, Jasper! And there was Bella, standing next to those two, talking about…whatever it is they were talking about.

I really wanted to go over there and talk to her. Yesterday was one of the only real conversations I've had since being at this school—which says a lot because it was about a damn pencil. I looked around, thinking to myself. It wouldn't be so horrible if I talked to her, right? I mean, it's not like it's against the law or anything. It's just against Jessica and her pack's stupid rules.

As I was contemplating this, Alice walked away from the group and I noticed Bella and Jasper begin talking. It looked like they were talking about something serious, so I decided to just wait here. I mean, I didn't even have anything to talk to her about. I'm still kind of embarrasses that I told her I needed to use a pencil for my math notes too. Which, I know I shouldn't be, especially since she just told me the exact same thing.

I got up from my bench and started making my way inside. I knew the bell was going to ring soon and figured I would start making my way, slowly, towards class. As I was walking through the hallway, I heard someone yell Bella's name. I turned around to see that Alice girl running toward her with a huge smile on her face. Obviously, something good had just happened. I watched the whole exchange of Alice talking excitedly, Bella winking at that Jasper guy, and the look her gave her back. My guess was that he just asked Alice out or to the dance or something.

I just stood there, watching her walk away before I realized that I needed to actually get to class. I turned and headed in the same direction Bella took off in. I walked into the classroom and took my seat. I noticed that she had already placed my pencil on my desk.

I turned to her and whispered, "You didn't have to return it so quickly. I mean, if you still need it or something, which would be fine." I smiled at her. Part of me wanted her to keep the pencil, just so I would have something to talk to her about in the future. Wait, what am I saying? I can still talk to her in the future, whether or not she has my damn pencil.

She smiled back at me. "It's no problem. I normally have a few extras on me, but I think I gave them to Emmett yesterday for something. Thanks again, Edward."

I felt my smile grow as she said my name. It sounded perfect coming from her—like it was supposed to. "Oh, yeah…sure. No problem. So…what was it that you orchestrated this morning for that Alice girl?" I asked her, wanting to keep talking.

I saw her blush slightly, which made her even more beautiful—God, I'm turning into such a sap. She smiled slyly, "Oh, nothing really. I just finally pushed Jasper into asking her to the dance." She laughed quietly. "They've liked each other for two years now and neither one of them have said anything—except to me that it is. So I talked to him and got him to do it." She shrugged.

"What did you say to get him to ask her out?" I don't really know why I asked this question, it really wasn't any of my business, but now I really was interested.

"Well, I kind of said something that I knew he wouldn't like. I told him that if he didn't do anything now, some other guy was going to swoop in and take her away." She smirked. "He, of course, had no idea that Alice would have turned down everyone because she only wants Jasper."

"That was really nice of you—stepping in like that to help your friends." Wow, could this girl be more amazing. She helps her friends out and acts like it's nothing. Most girls would flaunt that over everyone to get everything they could out of it.

She just shrugged again. "It's nothing. I love Alice, she's like my sister. I would do anything to see her happy." She smiled and then pointed to the board, signaling that class was starting and Mr. Smithe hated when students talked in class. I nodded and smiled to her.

That's it. I know I want to know more about her—I want to know everything about her. I feel more like myself around her than I've ever felt with anybody else. Which is weird because we've only had two conversations total and I haven't even really told her anything about myself. But I don't feel like I have a script or lines set aside that I'm supposed to say. I don't have to ask what she picked up from the store; I don't have to ask what she thought of the game. I can just ask her what's on my mind—nothing is expected from me. It's a nice feeling.

Before I knew it, the bell was ringing signaling the end of class. Had I really spent the whole hour thinking about Bella? Weird, I never do that. I quickly gathered my things and walked after Bella to the door.

"So, since you hooked up two of your friends, are you excited about homecoming?" I asked her. I secretly hoped she said that she didn't have a date or she wasn't going. I didn't want to think about her with another guy. Why am I thinking this? She has a right to do whatever she wants—she's not mine.

She rolled her eyes. "Ugh, I'm so tired of hearing about homecoming. Yeah, I'm excited, but I'm not bouncing off the walls—it will be the same as the other two years I've gone. Honestly, I don't see why some girls make such a big deal about it." She smiled at me.

"I know exactly what you mean. It's all my friends ever talk about. And the girls, they never let it go. Jessica, Lauren, and Tanya are swarming around me like animals around their prey. They are just waiting for me to ask one of them." I sighed and shook my head. And then I realized what I just said, and to Bella. Why should she care what's going on in my life.

"Yeah, that must really suck for you. I know my friends talk about it, but the only one really going crazy is Alice." She laughed. "Sorry about the girls though. That's probably hard for you too, having to pick one when the other two want you to pick them."

I nodded. "Right! Wouldn't you think it's odd that they all wait around for me at the same time, knowing full well I wouldn't ask one of them with the other two present." I sighed. "But, I really don't want to go with any of them. They actually really annoy me." I can't believe what I just said; why had I told her that? If word got around that I said that, my whole world would blow up around me. And Elizabeth—who knows what she would do. Probably find some ridiculous punishment. But Bella wouldn't tell anyone. And she probably thinks that I tell everyone this.

She nodded and looked at me with her dark chocolate brown eyes full of complete understanding. "You could always just tell them that, you know? I mean, the dance is about a week and a half away."

I nodded and looked around. The halls were starting to clear as students started making their way to their second period classes. "Yeah, maybe. Thanks." I smiled at her. She looked around too, probably noticing the same thing I was. "Well, we should probably get going to class." I told her.

She nodded. "Yeah. I guess I'll see you around." She told me, smiling.

"Sounds good. Have a good day Bella." I told her. She nodded and turned away as she started to make her way down the hallway. I shamelessly watched her walk away from me. As I watched her, I noticed that Jessica and Lauren were watching her too, their faces not masking the rage. I wanted to do something to help her, but I had no idea what. I just walked behind her, getting close enough to hear Jessica say, "Watch it, bitch," before pushing Bella out of her way.

Bella stumbled slightly but kept her balance. I watched her shake her head and continue on toward her second period class. I was worried about her because obviously Jessica and her little posse were starting to get jealous of Bella. I talked to the girl twice! What is with girls anyways?

Sighing, I made my way to my class thinking about the mess that would be waiting for me at lunch. Ugh…girls.

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A/N: So, please review!! I really love getting reviews--good, bad, and in-between! I'm not sure if you want me to keep going! So please please review! :)

Oh, suggestions are always welcome! :)


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: It has come to my attention that I made a few errors in this chapter (thanks lifeisruff4 ). So I had to fix it! :)

hey everyone! Thanks so much for reading this story. I'm starting to add a little drama--you know how high school is! Sorry for the shorter chapter--it's like 2 in the morning here. I'll probably update again tomorrow or Sunday!

**Stephanie Meyer owns all things Twilight**

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**Edward's POV**

I groaned as I made my way to the lunchroom. I knew what was coming up for me; I'm going to have to face Jessica, Lauren, and Tanya as they interrogate me and threaten me. I have no desire to listen to them or answer to them. Who the hell do they think they are anyways? I have a right to talk to whomever the fuck I want to! My mind flashed to Elizabeth and what she might do if she found out.

Elizabeth tends to threaten me with loads of different punishments. She threatens to ship me off to military school—but I know this is one threat she would only resort to if nothing else would help. How would it look if your son was sent to military school; that wouldn't help with her "perfect" image. I tried to clear my head of the other punishments as I walked to my table.

I took my usual seat next to Mike and began eating my lunch. I no sooner took one bit of my pizza before the ambush started. I couldn't really even make out what any of them were saying because they all talked at the same time. But I think I got the main point of what they were saying: why was I always talking to Bella Swan, why did I smile at her the way I did, why doesn't she back the fuck off, and lastly, my personal favorite, they wanted to make sure I wasn't going to ask her to homecoming.

Although, when they said that, I couldn't help but think about being able to go to a school dance with Bella. Normally, they are so awkward because you have to find something to talk to your date about because you can't just dance and eat in silence the whole night. I thought about the things we could talk about and how it would feel to hold her in my arms as we swayed to a soft, romantic song. A harsh voice slapped me back to reality.

"Edward Masen," Jessica hissed. "You had better wipe that smirk off your face this instant. Don't you dare think about _her._" She emphasized her with a sneer. "She's just a stupid whore and you deserve better than that." She tried to smile at me, but her rage contorted her face into a grimace. I wanted to slap her for saying that about Bella, but I knew I couldn't do that because she would make my life living hell. As if sensing I was thinking that, Jessica leaned toward me to whisper in my ear. "If you don't cool it with her, I'm going to tell Elizabeth and we'll see just what she says. I'm sure she'll think I'm a much better match for you then Bella." She smiled triumphantly. I noticed Lauren and Tanya slink away from us, looking even angrier that Jessica had stepped in and left them out.

I sighed. She had me there. For some reason, during the beginning of sophomore year, Jessica had come over for something and Elizabeth was there. Jessica heard Elizabeth tell me to ask Lauren to the dance—Elizabeth thought it would make a nice image. Jessica was shocked the next day when I asked Lauren to go with me. Ever since then, she's figured out that I do almost anything Elizabeth tells me to do.

I looked at Jessica. "Jess, we were just talking. It's not a crime." Shit, I wish I wouldn't have said that. That viper look came onto her face; she was up to something.

"Edward, I would highly recommend that you stop talking to her because if you don't, we will no longer be your friends. And you know what type of image that would make for your dear old mother…"

Fuck, now I was screwed. I couldn't let that happen. Elizabeth would make my life a living hell if Jessica followed through on that threat. I just nodded and looked down at my hands. "Fine."

She patted the top of my head and smirked. "There's a good boy. Now, when are you going to ask me to the homecoming dance? It's only a week and a half away. I'll need to go accessory shopping this weekend. I need to find things that match my dress. It's a really pretty rosy pink color. It's long and has a big poufy skirt. I know, that's normally prom style, but I'm going to look so gorgeous and you, of course, will have to get a pink shirt and things like that. I really want…"

I finally tuned the bitch out. God, I didn't ask her to the dance and she's already telling me what I'm going to be wearing to the dance. Why can't she take a hint—I DON'T WANT TO GO WITH HER!

After a few endless minutes of her talking, the bell finally rang and I literally ran to class. There was no way I wanted to listen to another word out of her mouth. I just wanted to get through this day without another ambush.

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**Bella's POV**

I dragged my feet to the lunch table. Today was a horrible day. I mean, I talked to Edward, which was fun. I finally have someone to share my Jasper and Alice story with. But no sooner had we left the classroom had Jessica Stanley called me a bitch. As if that wasn't bad enough, Tyler and Mike had both hinted at going to the dance with me, but thankfully neither one of them asked me—yet. And Lauren met up with me in the hall between third and fourth period telling me to leave Edward alone because he's hers. And just now, on the way to lunch, I got to run into all three of them who all yelled at me and told me I better watch what I'm doing or they would put me in my own personal hell.

Needless to say, by the time I got to lunch, I was exhausted. It's not like I don't know how to stand up for myself. I'm not a coward—I just don't know what to say to them. I mean, I'd like to tell them to fuck off and stuff, but I don't see the point in wasting my breath on them—yet.

I sat down next to Alice, who was already intertwining herself with Jasper. I smiled at the sight of them—they were definitely meant to be together. Alice looked up at me and her eyes instantly filled with concern. "Bella, what's wrong?"

Damn, she can read me like an open book. I sighed, there was no use lying to Alice. "Nothing really, Alice. Just the skank clan telling me to stop messing with Edward Masen." I shrugged.

Alice squealed, "You're messing around with Edward Masen? Oh my god, he's like the most popular guy in the school! How on earth did you manage that?"

Emmett, who's always been very protective of me and Alice, took a completely different reaction. "No, Bella. I don't like him or the idea of you doing anything with him. He'll just hurt you because he'll never be able to be with you. That's not the way this school works. You have to stop…messing around with him," he said the last part with a grimace. Emmett has always thought of me as his little sister ever since Alice joined him and Dr. and Mrs. Cullen. Alice and I are a packaged deal.

I just laughed at them because they took my words in the literal sense. "No….guys, I'm not doing anything with Edward. I'm just talking to him in first hour and then for a few minutes after." I shrugged again—it's what I do when I don't know what else to do. "It's not a big deal or anything; they're just feeling threatened by me even though they all know he would never ask me."

Alice shot her eyes downward. "Well, it's not too late. You guys would be so adorable together and would perfect for each other." She sighed as Jasper took her hand in an attempt to comfort her. She immediately smiled and turned to him.

"Alice, Edward and I…we're like on different continents. People like him just don't go for people like me. It's just how it is." I told Alice truthfully. As much as I wanted to think Edward liked me at least as a kind of friend, I knew that was probably next to impossible.

Emmett relaxed by this of course. "Well, Bella. Just don't let those girls get to you. Just bitch slap them or something next time you see them." He smiled.

I laughed. "Alright Emmett, I think about it if I need to." Just then the bell rang signaling the end of lunch. I said a quick goodbye to my friends and started towards the door. I caught a glimpse of the skanks watching me with their beady little eyes. Their faces were the epitome of anger and rage. I looked away, hoping I wouldn't have to use Emmett's advice.

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A/N: So, what do you think? Please review...they make me want to keep going!

MelissaMasen: thanks for the love and the review! 3

Jaspermytwin: don't worry. Bella will stand up to them! There will most definately be some sort of confrontation--probably! :)


	5. Chapter 5

**I DO NOT OWN TWILIGHT.**

Thanks to everyone who's reading this story! I'm really liking it--everytime I start wrting a chapter, I always start to think about what I want to happen in the next chaper! Please review!! 3

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Edward's POV**

I sat on my bed later that night, attempting to actually work on that English paper. But my mind kept wandering to Bella. How she looks when she smiles, and her whole face lights up. The cute way her cheeks turn pink when she's embarrassed. God, she's so adorable. Why can't I stop thinking about her!

I know that I can't be thinking about her this much—nothing will ever come out of this. I will never be able to be with her. Not as long as I live with Elizabeth or have Jessica, Lauren, and Tanya on my case constantly. I didn't even want this life. All I ever wanted was to find where I belong and fit in, without pretending to be someone that I'm not. I wish I could do something about it, but I know that I can't.

I groaned and rubbed my face with my heads, causing me to instantly whip my hands away an wince. My check still hurts from Elizabeth. Fucking bitch thought that I mouthed off to her when I told her I didn't want to go to the dance with Jessica—who is Elizabeth's pick. I, of course, knew what was going to happen, but I wasn't prepared for it. Elizabeth's hand shot out and slapped the side of my face. A quick, sharp slap that stung like a bitch but would leave no mark. It's just going to be a little tender for the next couple of hours.

I sighed and picked up my book again, trying to truly focus on my paper. I didn't want to work on it at all. All I wanted to do was go to sleep—or talk to Bella. I couldn't help but smile at that thought. I wonder what she's doing right now. Is she sitting on her bed, trying to work on homework too? Or is she on the phone with Alice talking about…whatever it is that those two talk about? Or, maybe, she's thinking of me too.

No, no I can't let myself think like that. There's no way she would think of me—in that way. I mean, I'm Edward Masen. The quarterback of the football team who's always surrounded by girls and acting like a complete jerk when I'm with my guy "friends." No one would ever see past that to get to the real me. Especially not Bella.

I really wish she could though—no, I can't keep thinking like this. Even _if_ she could look past the show, there would be nothing I can do for her after that. I wouldn't be able to take her out on a date, or bring her over here to watch a movie. I wouldn't even be able to talk to her in public without those damn bitches jumping all over me and probably being mean to Bella.

I couldn't let that happen to her—but I had today. I just stood there as I heard Jessica call Bella a bitch—Bella doesn't deserve that. She's the nicest person I've ever met. All we were doing was talking! What is the big deal anyways!!

I threw my book down on the floor and lay down on my bed. I couldn't concentrate anymore, not with how angry I was at the moment. I shut my eyes, trying to take calming, deep breaths. I laid there for a few minutes, trying to will myself to relax and let it go.

The next thing I knew, I jolted awake, glancing around my room looking for him. My breathing was quick and shaky and I couldn't quite stop the trembling in my hands. I could feel the thin layer of sweat along my back. At least I wasn't crying, I could count one thing for me.

It was the same dream, yet it was always different. I was sitting in my room, in my old room, and he comes walking in. He told me that I was a fag for not playing football like all the other boys and playing piano. I saw my mother walk right past the doorway. Before I could even respond, I felt his fist in my gut. It was painful, and took my breath away, but it was never too much to cause permanent damage. Before I was even up again, his fist reared back, getting ready for another swing. This time he hit me—

I shook my head, trying to forget about the dream. Those things don't matter anymore. I don't even know why I still have dreams about them. I only get them on the nights that Elizabeth punishes me. Maybe I'm subconsciously reminding myself of what could be happening. Some therapist would be telling me that I've repressed everything for so long that it's start coming back to me or some other psycho-babble bullshit. But truth be told, I really could care less about what they have to say.

I've never told Elizabeth how life was like with my parents. I saw—see no reason to let her in on that part of me. It's the most genuine part of me unfortunately, and I won't let her invade that part and take it away too.

I got up out of my bed, planning on making my way to the shower. I glanced at the clock quick. It read 3:49 am. Of course, I would have fallen asleep for about five hours because I know there will be no sleeping for me now.

I tried to shake off the remains of the nightmare—dream, I will not give in to them and call it a nightmare, and made my way to the bathroom. I planned on taking a shower and then working on that paper that I should have worked on last night.

I could look on the bright side, at least tomorrow's Friday. Well, today. But thinking about it, that doesn't seem so wonderful because the dance is a week away and I have to ask Jessica to the dance. And with that happy thought, I stepped into my shower, letting the hot water wash away the pain and sadness I was feeling.

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**Bella's POV**

By some miracle, I made it through the rest of the day without any of interactions or warnings from those bitches. I was more than relieved to be able to just go home and lie on my bed or do whatever it was that I wanted. My mom and Phil had left for some baseball conference or meeting or training—something or other. I really don't pay attention. But it really doesn't bother me. I prefer to be alone anyways. It's really nice.

Although, Alice had insisted on spending the night tonight to keep me company, but I knew her ulterior motives. She wanted to keep me company, but also wanted to make me up tomorrow for school. I could tell when she said she'd be over tonight around eight. She claimed it was to give me time to finish my homework, but she was just going to get her stuff together for me.

I don't really mind. It is nice to look good every so often, but I am not one to take hours to get ready in the morning. I mean, of course I make sure to wear a cute outfit and that may hair and make-up looks good, but I really never take that much time on myself. But, as Alice reminds me, that's why I have her.

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At eight on the dot, I heard Alice's car pulling into my driveway. I didn't bother to get up from the couch because I knew Alice would just walk in. Sure enough, a few minutes later, Alice came barging through the door with her arms full of bags.

"Oh my god, Alice! What is all this stuff?" I asked her, unable to hide the fear. I didn't know what she was going to do to me.

She just smiled. "Bella, you have to look your best tomorrow if you're going to find a date." Then she smirked. "I think Edward would really like it…"

I smiled, but it was strained. I had completely forgotten that I would be the only one without a date. Alice and Jasper always used to dance together for almost every song, but they still included me. But this dance was going to be different. They were going to be together the whole night and so will Rose and Emmett. I would be alone if I didn't find a date. "Alice…you know Edward will never ask me to the dance. He's got like three girls waiting for him to ask one of them already." I told her.

She just stared at me. "How do you know that? Maybe he wants to ask you."

I shook my head. "I don't think so, but thanks. I don't even think he even really wants to go to the dance." _Let alone with me,_ I added to myself silently.

She smiled, all bright and bubbly again. "Well, we'll see about that. Tomorrow you will be the best looking girl in school—well, second to me, that is."

I laughed. "Alright Alice, whatever you say. So…are you going to tell me what you plan to do to me?"

She smiled and set all her bags done, in the middle of the dining room. "Well, tonight you're going to take a bubble bath because I have this really amazing bubble mix that makes your skin really soft and appear to glow. And then you're going to have a facial, manicure, and pedicure. And then I'm going to make you try on different outfits so we can figure out which one is just perfect!" She said all this in one breath and extremely fast.

"Alright, I suppose I'll have to do all this, since you're forcing me…" I told her with a chuckle. I actually don't mind being pampered, it's kind of nice. And it makes me feel, like really pretty—not that I would ever tell that to Alice because then she would get on my case about my self esteem issues.

Alice smiled and dashed up the stairs to start my bath. I waited down there patiently, looking at all the bags she brought with her. I counted a total of eight bags. I rolled my eyes at all her stuff.

"Isabella Marie, don't you dare mock the process of beauty. It takes a lot of things to look this amazing and I will not have you mocking the process." Alice looked at me sternly, but with a twinkle in her eyes.

I just laughed and marched my way up the stairs. Alice really knows how to lighten a mood and make me laugh. I turned around when I still heard her following me. "You're not, like going to stay in here with me, are you?" I asked her, slightly worried.

"No, of course not! I just came to grab my bag! I'm going to give myself a facial while you're in here." She picked up the small bag and slung it over her shoulder. "Oh, don't be in here too long, we still have a lot to do tonight," She called to me over her shoulder.

I just chuckled as I shut the door—and locked it behind her. I couldn't help but think about the things she said about Edward. Did she really think that he would want to go with me? No, of course not! Why would a guy like Edward want to go with me? I'm just hoping that he's not completely repulsed by me and actually enjoys talking to me in first hour—at least a little bit. Maybe we'll even become something that resembles friends.

We'll see what he makes of me tomorrow. Well, him and the rest of the male student body. I smiled to myself. Alice was right about one thing, it was definitely time I had a date to a dance. And I planned on getting one tomorrow.

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A/N: So...what do you think? any suggestions or things you want to see happen?? :) please please review!

Thanks to all of you who are reviewing, it really means a lot to me and makes me want to keep going and share this story! :)

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	6. Chapter 6

Hey everyone! So, this is a pretty long chapter! But's it's pretty detailed about Bella's day! I hope you like it! Please review! :)

**Stephanie Meyer owns Twilight**

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**Bella's POV**

I slid out of Alice's car once we arrived at school. So far, the day hasn't been too horrible even though Alice woke me up an entire hour earlier than I normally do. I showered and did my things while Alice prepped herself—she had gotten up even earlier. When I was done, she held out an outfit for me to wear. It was a dark blue, knee-length dress. It had little cap sleeves and a black waist band that had a pretty, rhinestone brooch on it. It was absolutely beautiful, and when I put it on, I _was _beautiful. Alice just smiled and began putting make-up on me. Alice always puts more make-up on me than I normally do, but I always end up looking good, so I trust her judgment. She curled my hair and put a headband in my hair to get it away from my face. The final touch was the shoes. They were black flats—thank God and truly completed the outfit. I glanced at myself in the mirror and I looked amazing.

That feeling was still in full effect—even after walking in behind Alice who always looks perfect. I was feeling pretty damn good about myself. I didn't feel like shy, awkward Bella. I felt beautiful and like I could do anything.

After getting my books from my locker, I began making my way into the cafeteria to meet up with my friends. It was pouring rain outside—which thankfully had started after I successfully made it inside, so we couldn't sit outside in the courtyard. Unfortunately, the cafeteria was super crowded so everyone turned to look at me when I walked in. I, being me, of course, started blushing.

"WOOO! BELLA'S LOOKING FINE!" I groaned when I heard Emmett yell that. I looked up from the floor to glare at him as he laughed. The whole entire cafeteria heard him, and I wouldn't doubt people outside the cafeteria heard him too.

I walked over to the table and smacked Emmett on the back of his head. "You jerk!" I slid down into my seat. "I can't believe you yelled that!" I told him, trying to sound angry.

Emmett just smiled. "Sorry Bella…I really didn't mean anything bad by it! You really do look good—Mike Newton can't keep his eyes off you." He snorted and started laughing again.

I just rolled my eyes at him and laughed again. There really was no use staying mad at Emmett.

"Bella, you really do look good! I do such fabulous work!" Alice said proudly. "I saw Edward Masen through a few glances your way…" She said while playfully elbowing me.

I rolled my eyes again. "Alice, let it go." Emmett was back into full on big brother mode at the mention of Edward. "Relax Em, nothing is going to happen. Alice is just convinced that Edward, the most popular guy in school who has three girls lined up for him, would ask me, a plain and ordinary outcast." I shrugged. I didn't see why Alice kept pressing it. Maybe it was because she wanted me to have a boyfriend like her and Rose did. Whatever her reason, I wished she would just drop it.

Alice sighed. "Okay, sorry Bella. I'll let it go." Then she smiled. "I am certain you will have a date by the end of the day though, especially in that outfit. Mike and Tyler haven't taken their eyes off you since you walked in and sat down!" She giggled.

I groaned, but was extremely grateful when the bell rang for first period. I stood up and walked off quickly, thankful that I wasn't in heels so I could move at a fast pace. I walked into my Trig classroom and slid into my desk. I started taking my things out of my bag when I noticed Edward walk in. I smiled at him, showing him that I could be a good friend. He, surprisingly, smiled back. Maybe I wasn't so horrible at this almost friend stuff.

Edward sat down and took out his things. Suddenly he turned to me and smirked. "That was quite a show you put on in the cafeteria this morning."

I blushed and looked down. "You saw that?" He just nodded, because everyone saw that, or at least heard it. "Yeah, well, Alice wanted to make me over today and Emmett likes to embarrass me, so yeah…." I trailed off, hoping that it was enough of an explanation.

He laughed. "You looked so cute when you glared at him—I was scared for him."

I tried not to let his comment affect me—I mean a lot of guys were noticing me today because of Alice's makeover. Edward just had a slip of the tongue, so I tried to ignore it and laughed with him. "Unfortunately, there isn't much I can do to Emmett, except possibly never cook for him again. But I don't think I'd be able to keep that up—I cave really easily for people I care about." I told Edward for some reason I don't know.

Edward smiled at me, a crooked smile that made me wonder if he really did think I was cute. One could hope right? "Anyways," he started in whisper because Mr. Smithe was beginning his lecture. "Why did Alice want to make you over in the first place?"

I looked at him and shrugged. "I don't really know. She's just really into fashion and loves to dress me up whenever she can. But this time, she wanted to make me over because homecoming is a week away and both her and Rose have dates so…this is her plan to ensure I get one." I rolled my eyes and snorted. "But that's just Alice; she's just trying to help me out."

Edward looked slightly uncomfortable—was it something I said? I only told him about why Alice wanted to dress me up, like he asked me too. Right as I was debating whether to say something to him, he turned to me and smiled that crooked smile again. "Well, at least you're not wearing heels. I hear those are like torture."

I smiled and laughed quickly at his comment. I glanced up and noticed Mr. Smithe giving us a weird look, although he never broke off from his lecture. I quickly shifted in my seat to face the front to appear as though I was paying attention. I felt bad for abruptly stopping the conversation with Edward, so I tore a piece of paper from my notebook and scribbled a quite note to Edward.

_Hey, sorry about the abrupt stop but Mr. Smithe was glaring at us. I didn't want to get you in trouble or anything. ~Bella_

I folded up the note into a small square and quickly placed it on Edward's desk when Mr. Smithe wasn't looking. I watched out of the corner of my eye as Edward opened the note and wrote something back.

_Don't worry about it Bella. I completely understand, but what's the worst thing he could do to us. Send us to the corner? –Edward_

I laughed quietly at his response and quickly hid the note under my notebook because I had drawn a little too much attention with my laugh. I glanced at Edward and smiled, hoping he understood why I didn't respond. He just smiled at me in return and glanced back at the board.

The rest of the hour went by rather quickly as I thought about Alice and her need to go to the mall tonight to get the 'perfect' dress for homecoming. She had asked me about a million times what color I wanted my dress to be and every time I told her I didn't know because I wasn't sure if I was going yet or not.

Before I knew it, the bell rang and I quickly packed up my stuff and headed for the door. Edward caught up with me again and walked with me toward my locker. "So, any plans for the weekend?" He asked me casually.

I shrugged. "I'll probably be spending most of my time either at the mall or just with Alice and Rose somewhere. Alice wants everything to be perfect for her first official date with Jasper." I laughed. "What about you?"

He sighed. "I don't know. I'll probably have to go to the mall with Jessica to look for her accessories. But other than that, I don't think anything." He smiled and then slightly grimaced when he noticed Mike Newton walking toward us. "Well, I'll see you later Bella. Have a good weekend."

I nodded and forced a smile. "Yeah, you too." So, Edward was going with Jessica. I can't say that I was surprised by that. Mike walked up to me and smiled. I returned the smiled, feeling slightly uncomfortable because I didn't talk to Mike that much. "Hey Mike, what's up?"

He smiled at me and looked down. "Hey Bella. Well…I was wondering if maybe you would…um…possibly want to go to the homecoming dance with me?"

I wasn't surprised again; I sort of figured as much when Emmett and Alice both said that he was staring at me. Part of me wanted to say no because I didn't really want to go with Mike. But he's a pretty nice guy and I didn't have another date and I really wanted to go. So I smiled at him and nodded. "Sure, Mike. I'd love to."

He looked up and grinned at me like a child. "Okay, awesome. Well, can we maybe talk after school more about it?"

I nodded and smiled again. "Sure Mike, I'll meet you in the parking lot after school."

He smiled again, said okay, and walked away. I couldn't help but smile at his enthusiasm. It was nice to feel wanted by someone. And Mike wasn't terrible. He's probably a really nice guy. As I made my way to class, I thought about Alice's prediction. I did have a date for the homecoming dance.

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I made it through the rest of the day, managing to fill Alice in on all the details—all four of them—throughout the day. Every time she saw me in the hallway, she would run up to me and ask me another question to which I would have no answer to. But she was really excited for me.

After I gathered everything from my locker, I walked out to the parking lot in search of Mike. I saw him leaning up against the passenger side of Alice's car, talking to Jasper. I walked over to them and smiled. "Hey guys."

Alice and Jasper said a quick hello and then rushed off because Alice 'conveniently' forgot something in her locker. Mike beamed at me. "Hi Bella. How was your day?"

I shrugged. "It was okay. I have an English paper due on Monday though, which kind of sucks, but oh well. How was yours?"

Mike just smiled again—what is with everyone and the smiling? I always feel like I have to smile back at them, so I smiled back at Mike. "It was pretty good. Sorry about the paper." He paused. "So, um, do you know what color dress you're going to wear?"

I shook my head. "Sorry, I don't know yet. I'm going shopping sometime this weekend with Alice and Rose. I can call you as soon as I know if you want."

He smiled and whipped out his phone. Something told me that he was waiting for me to say that. "Okay, I'll give you my number and you can just call me when you know."

He recited the number as I programmed it into my phone. With another huge smile, Mike left and walked to his car. Not surprisingly, Alice showed up a few seconds later—without Jasper. Alice just smiled at me and started asking me a million questions. I just smiled and rolled my eyes as I got into her car. I would have time for her questions later. After all, we were going to the mall.

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Rosalie had met Alice and me at the mall right after school. We had already been to five different stores and I still hadn't found a good dress. Rose had found a beautiful red dress. It was knee-length and flowed out gracefully with thick shoulder straps. She had also bought a golden colored necklace and matching earrings, after being allowed to borrow Alice's strappy, gold heels for the evening.

Alice had even found a gorgeous dress for herself. It had thin, spaghetti straps and was very tight—but not skin tight. It was a deep purple that looked amazing on her. She even purchased a new pair of heels, which were silver and open-toed with no back. They had one thick strap over the bottom of where her toes would be with a tiny little bow on them. Rose told Alice that she could borrow her silver necklace with the purple gems, so Alice had also picked out some earrings to go with the necklace.

So, both Rose and Alice were completely set and now it was only me that needed something. They were both determined to find me the perfect dress. They were each in a different store while I waited on a bench outside for them. I had no reason to really be in the stores with them, because I had no idea what I wanted and I figured they would know what would look good on me.

As I sat there and waited for Alice or Rose to come back, three figures approached me on my bench. I rolled my eyes at them. Tanya, Jessica, and Lauren strutted over to me, glaring at me the whole time. I could not believe my luck. Of course they would find me here.

Tanya was the first to speak. "Who the fuck do you think you are? You have no right to be going to the dance with Mike!" She spat at me in disgust.

Before I could even say anything, Lauren spoke with hatred dripping off every word. "You're just a stupid whore and should just stick to what she knows best!" What that was supposed to mean, I have no idea.

Jessica came extremely close to me as I stood to meet her. I was no longer going to be timid, shy Bella. I was going to take a stand for myself. Jessica glared at me and literally hissed, "Edward is mine bitch, so you better just back off." She smiled evilly at me. "I can make your life a living hell…"

I just rolled my eyes at the three of them. "Wow, it's so nice to see you all here too." I just snorted. "First of all, Mike asked _me_ to go to the dance, so if you're pissed about that, you take that up with him. Second, the only whores here are you three. You're throwing yourselves at Edward waiting for him to make a move. Well, what happens to the two of you he rejects?" They stared back at me, dumbfounded for a moment, as if they had never thought of that before. I started to walk away but then turned to them once more. "Oh, and I've only ever talked to Edward, so why don't you just chill out for a second. He can choose to talk to whoever he fucking wants so just back off. Oh, and you're threat about making my life a living hell—yeah, that doesn't scare me one bit. You could try, but there's nothing you could do to me that would hurt me—I don't even exist on the radar."

And with that, I turned on my heel and strode to meet up with Alice and Rose. Those three really needed to calm down. I have no idea what is with their sick obsession with Edward, but I really think he should be warned about them. I heard them calling me a bitch or whore or something along those lines. I glanced over my shoulder to roll my eyes again and shake my head. Once I was done, I noticed Edward Masen walking out of a store and he was looking directly at me. That was weird…

I walked into the store looking for Alice. I found her and Rose going through a rack of dresses. Both of them had at least five dresses already and I groaned as I thought about having to try them all on. But they both looked at me with such excitement that I couldn't help but feel the same way. So I smiled and grabbed a handful of dresses and made my way to the dressing room.

As I tried on dress after dress, I was determined not to let my encounter with _them_ affect my mood—or my friends' moods. They were really excited for me and I was excited too. So I became determined to find the perfect dress and have a good night tonight. I was not going to dwell on the negative.

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A/N: So, that was Bella's take on Friday. The next chapter is going to be Edward's take on the day! Please review! :)


	7. Chapter 7

Hey guys! I really hope you are liking this story! I'm getting really into it! This chapter is the same day as Chapter 6, except the whole day is in Edward's point of view.

STEPHANIE MEYER OWNS TWILIGHT CHARACTERS

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**Edward's POV**

When I showed up at school this morning, I just knew that it was going to be a bad day. Something in my guy told me that things just weren't going to go my way. This hypothesis was confirmed when I showed up at school and dropped my bag as soon as I stepped out of my car. My books, notebooks, and papers fell into a nice puddle—awesome.

Things just kept getting worse. Jessica was waiting for me at my locker, alone. So I sighed and sucked it up. I walked up to her, gave her a small, forced smile and said the words I've never wanted to say. "Jessica, wanna go to the dance together?" I didn't want to ask her to go with me—that would make it seem like I want to be with her. I really wish I could have just said something like 'I'll meet see you at the dance,' but I knew Elizabeth would have flipped over that.

Jessica squealed extremely loud and threw her arms around my neck. She started going on and on about how she knew I was going to ask her and how we would have such a great time at the dance. She also was babbling on about how I was going to go with her to the mall after school to help her pick out her accessories.

I awkwardly patted her back and pulled away, emptying the still damp contents of my bag into my locker. I threw my Trig book and notebook into my back and slammed the locker shut. I began walking toward the cafeteria with Jessica on my heels. She was still chattering away at all the minor details of everything she had to do and everything that I would have to do. I tuned her out—I already hated the idea of going to homecoming with Jessica.

I sat down in a chair next to Mike and groaned when Jessica sat down next to me, still talking. I was really tired of listening to her already. I looked up and saw Lauren and Tanya walk in and Jessica immediately shut up. Oh, so it was up to me to tell them that I was going with Jessica. Hell no. I was not going to be doing that. If Jessica wanted to tell them, fine. But I am not going to be her little whipping boy.

"WOOO! BELLA'S LOOKING FINE!" I heard someone shout and immediately glanced up. And I saw her walking toward her table. She was wearing a dark blue dress, which looked amazing on her. God, she looked so good. I watched as she glared at Emmett—I hope to never be the recipient of that glare. I turned away because I didn't want to be caught staring at her.

I glanced around my table and saw Mike, literally drooling while watching her. Tyler was also starting at her with a sick gleam in his eye. They were treating her like an object. Bella didn't deserve that. I felt this weird churning feeling in my gut at the thought of either of _them _being with her. Jealousy? I've never experienced this before, but I've heard it explained so many times I'm positive that's what I was feeling.

I _was_ jealous. I didn't want Mike or Tyler getting to talk to her like I talk to her. I don't want them to take her away from me. I didn't want to think about them holding her in their arms, or being able to hold her hand as they walked through the halls. And I definitely didn't want to think about them kissing her. She was Bella—my Bella.

No, she wasn't _my_ Bella. She was my friend—at least I hoped she was my friend. I felt really comfortable around her and at ease, which is something I normally don't get to experience. The feeling like I can talk to her about anything and she wouldn't judge me.

I glanced over at her again, trying to calm my irrational feelings. I smiled as I saw her hit Emmett in the head. She looked so beautiful when she smiled like that. I glanced away again, not wanting to be caught looking like Mike or Tyler.

That jealous feeling was starting to subside, which was good. She was my friend and I was afraid of losing her. I know it's dumb considering the fact we've only been talking for about two days, but I feel like I can trust her.

I stood up as I heard the bell ring. This has to stop—I can't keep thinking about her. I didn't want to scare her off before we've really even gotten to know each other. And realistically, I can never be more than her friend, and it would have to be in secret. Jessica would be a bitch to Bella if she found out. And Elizabeth…wouldn't be too happy in that choice.

I walked into Trig and my eyes immediately latched onto hers. Her warm, caring, brown eyes. When she saw me, she broke out into a smile. I couldn't help the feeling of hope that filled my chest—hope that maybe she wanted to be friends a little bit too, since we could never be more than that. I smiled back at her, watching as she continued emptying her bag's contents onto her desk. Her hair kept falling over her shoulders as she leaned down to her back and then sat back up.

I wanted to talk to her. Actually I really wanted to tell her how pretty she looks today—not that she doesn't look pretty every day. But I didn't. Instead, I went for the obvious. "That was quite a show you put on in the cafeteria this morning." I smirked at her, trying to keep the mood light.

She blushed, which made her look so adorable. "You saw that?" I just nodded at her, hoping she would continue. "Yeah, well, Alice wanted to make me over today and Emmett likes to embarrass me, so yeah…." She trailed off, looking around the room.

I just laughed. "You looked so cute when you glared at him—I was scared for him." Oh. My. God. Did I just say that? Like, really say that…out loud? What was I thinking? I really hope I didn't scare her off or anything. How could I be so stupid and say something like that to Bella. Even though it is true…

She laughed along with me. She didn't even seem phased by my comment. She probably heard things like that all morning. I was just happy she wasn't freaking out or anything. She was still smiling as she started talking. "Unfortunately, there isn't much I can do to Emmett, except possibly never cook for him again. But I don't think I'd be able to keep that up—I cave really easily for people I care about."

I smiled at her. She was so caring and loving to people. I think that's why I'm so drawn to her. I longed to have someone care about me and want to be there for me—without any ulterior motives. Mr. Smithe had started talking, but I didn't want to stop talking to her. I felt more and more like myself, well, who _I _wanted to be, every time I talked to her. "Anyways, why did Alice make you over in the first place?" I was really curious to know the reason. Bella always looked pretty, but I was wondering what the special occasion was. Maybe she had a date after school. I tried not to think about that.

She shrugged as she explained. "I don't really know. She's just really into fashion and loves to dress me up whenever she can. But this time, she wanted to make me over because homecoming is a week away and both her and Rose have dates so…this is her plan to ensure I get one."She snorted at me. "But that's just Alice; she's just trying to help me out."

I couldn't believe that was why she was so dressed up. Just to get a date for the dance. That jealous feeling came back, full force, just thinking about Bella going to the dance with someone else. Why do I keep doing this to myself? I can't think about Bella like that—she's my friend and she'll only ever be my friend. If she even wants that. So I shook off all that and smiled at her again. "Well, at least you're not wearing heels. I hear those are like torture." I wanted to see her smile again.

She did smile and laugh. She had the cutest laugh. But she quickly stopped and turned away from me, facing the front. Had I done something wrong? I was just joking with the whole heels comment. Bella couldn't possibly be upset over that, right?

As I was thinking this over, I saw Bella slip a piece of paper onto my desk. I quickly opened it and read it.

_Hey, sorry about the abrupt stop but Mr. Smithe was glaring at us. I didn't want to get you in trouble or anything. ~Bella_

I smiled to myself as I read over the note. She was worried about getting me in trouble and that meant she cared about me—at least a little bit. And that was enough for me. It meant that she liked talking to me as much as I liked talking to her. At least that's what I got out of her note. I quickly wrote a response to her.

_Don't worry about it Bella. I completely understand, but what's the worst thing he could do to us. Send us to the corner? –Edward_

She laughed at the response and that made my heart leap in my chest. I don't know why I was having all these weird reactions to Bella, but I wasn't going to complain. She turned to me with a smile on her face. I returned the smile, but glanced back at the board. I hoped she understood that I wasn't trying to be rude.

I spent the rest of the hour trying to pay attention to what Mr. Smithe was saying. It's not like I needed to really pay attention; Trig was somewhat of an easy class for me. But I was trying to focus in order to keep my mind off of other things, namely Bella. I knew I had to stop thinking about her so much; it was slightly stalker-ish. I also needed to stop because it was going to be harder for me in the end. If I kept thinking about her and how much I wanted to be with her, I would never get over this…crush? Is that what this is?

I was still wondering if I had a crush on Bella or not when the bell rang. I grabbed my things and followed her. I wanted to talk to Bella again. "So, any plans for the weekend?" Really, that was the best I could come up with? I am so pathetic.

"I'll probably be spending most of my time either at the mall or just with Alice and Rose somewhere. Alice wants everything to be perfect for her first official date with Jasper." She laughed as she said, "What about you?"

I sighed. I didn't really want to tell her that I was going with Jessica, especially since I had just told her yesterday that I didn't want to go with her. I'm going to look like the biggest jerk in the world. "I don't know. I'll probably have to go to the mall with Jessica to look for her accessories. But other than that, I don't think anything." I smiled at her while looking into her eyes. There was something there that wasn't there a minute ago. It looked almost like hurt, or something. Maybe she didn't want me to go to the dance with Jessica. Part of me hoped she wanted to go to the dance with me, but the other part, the much bigger part, knew that couldn't be it. I looked up and saw Mike walking toward her. Damn it. I knew exactly what he was going to do and I grimaced slightly. "Well, I'll see you later Bella. Have a good weekend."

I walked away, but I couldn't not watch what was happening. I watched as Mike smiled and then nervously fidgeted. He started talking to her, well asking her to the dance. Please, Bella, say no. Please don't go with…_him._

I knew I had not right to think that; I didn't have some claim over her. But I really didn't want her to go with Mike. But I watched her smile back and nod. My world felt like it had crashed around me. Why couldn't I stop thinking about Bella like _that?"_

I couldn't watch anymore, so I stormed off to my second hour class. I had to get over this crush and fast.

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The school day passed by extremely slowly. But throughout the day, I came to a conclusion about Bella. It wasn't a crush, I just liked the way I could be myself around her. Or at least, the feeling like I can be myself around her. I really don't know who I am, so that's also part of the problem. That's why I keep thinking about her; I keep wondering if I can truly be myself around her or not.

So, happy with myself for finally explaining the situation, I made my way to my car after school. But then I noticed Mike, leaning casually on Alice's yellow Porsche. God, he tried to look like he totally belonged there. I felt my anger toward Mike crawling around in my belly. I didn't want to look at him anymore, but then I noticed her. She came walking up to Mike with a smile on her face.

She's happy, why can't I just be happy for her? She seemed happy for me.

I groaned and climbed into my car. I couldn't watch them anymore. Besides, Jessica was probably already waiting for me at the mall. That wasn't even going to be good either. She's just going to end up pissing me off with her endless droning. Well, at least Elizabeth is gone for the weekend; she has a business trip. I can go home tonight and be myself without worrying about anyone. That was something to look forward too.

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This trip to the mall was even longer and worse than I imagine. All three of them were there and Jessica still hadn't told Lauren and Tanya that I was going with her. I stuck to my vow and never mentioned anything.

They kept dragging me along with them to countless stores—I had stopped counting how many stores we had gone to after seventeen. I just looked pathetic if I kept counting after that.

When they went into a lingerie store, I drew the line. I never wanted to see them in there and I was praying to God they weren't in there for the reason I thought they were. I snuck off to go to a music store. I just needed to get away from them.

I was just on my way out when I heard them talking to someone. I looked over and saw that they were talking to Bella. Although talking doesn't seem to quite fit the description of what they were doing. They were sort of yelling and threatening her.

I watched in horror, wishing there was something I could do. Wait; there is something I can do. I could stand up for Bella.

But right as I started to walk to her, she stood up and stared straight at Jessica. I stopped dead in my tracks. She was going to stand up for herself; that thought made me so proud, I wanted to go and pull her into a hug. She was doing something that I was completely incapable of. I couldn't make out what Tanya or Lauren said, but I heard loud and clear what Jessica said.

"Edward is mine bitch, so you better just back off. I can make your life a living hell…"

I felt so angry at that moment I seriously wanted to…I don't even know. How dare she think of me as a goddamn object—one of her fucking possessions.

But then I heard Bella speak in a vicious tone that I never thought I would hear of out her. "Wow, it's so nice to see you all here too." I couldn't help but chuckle when I heard the sarcasm dripping off every word. "First of all, Mike asked _me_ to go to the dance, so if you're pissed about that, you take that up with him. Second, the only whores here are you three. You're throwing yourselves at Edward waiting for him to make a move. Well, what happens to the two of you that he rejects?"Bella started to walk away but then turned to them once more. "Oh, and I've only ever talked to Edward, so why don't you just chill out for a second. He can choose to talk to whoever he fucking wants so just back off. Oh, and you're threat about making my life a living hell—yeah, that doesn't scare me one bit. You could try, but there's nothing you could do to me that would hurt me—I don't even exist on the radar."

With that final word, she turned around and walked away from them. I watched her go with a feeling of pride and admiration swelling inside me. I wish I had that courage. I could hear Tanya, Lauren, and Jessica calling after her, trying to provoke her some more. But Bella just turned and stared at them, dead on. I stared at her, walking out of the store. She looked at me, looking straight into my eyes. I wanted to smile at her, but my lips couldn't form one. I was completely awestruck with her.

I watched her walk away as Jessica, Tanya, and Lauren came running to me, telling me all about what a bitch Bella was. I just looked at them, full of anger and hatred. I just turned on my heel and stormed out. I wanted nothing more to do with them.

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A/N: So, what do you think? I just love the whole "I'm secretly in love with you and pining for your affection" thing! The next chapter is probably just going to be a filler--explaining what has gone on throughout the week before homecoming. I really just want to write about the dance, but I can't just jump there. I'll probably update soon, but I'll update sooner with reviews!! So, please please review!! 3


	8. Chapter 8

Hey, so this chpater is just sort of relaying the things that happened throughout the week and then the beginning of the dance. Hope you like it! Please review!

**twilight characters belong to stephanie meyer**

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**Bella's POV**

I still don't really know how I got into this mess. I'm sitting here in Alice's bedroom with Alice and Rosalie getting ready for the dance. More like having them get me ready for the dance. They said that I couldn't be trusted to put in the time and effort needed to create the perfect look for a night like tonight. I told them that it was only homecoming with Mike, but they wouldn't accept any excuses. So, that's how I got here with my body covered in some type of creamy liquid and my face covered with a green mask.

It wasn't so bad; I do kind of like being pampered, but this just seems completely unnecessary. I understand that they want to look amazing for their boyfriends, but I was going with Mike Newton. I really didn't feel a need to look all out amazing, which is probably a horrible thing to say. But Alice and Rose wanted to look good for a_fter_ homecoming—whatever they were planning with their significant others, I didn't want to know, and I was hoping that nothing was going to happen after homecoming with Mike. I know it makes me sound like a loser, but I just want to go home after homecoming; I don't really want to hang out with Mike or any of his friends. I couldn't tell Alice or Rose this though, because they would blow a gasket if they knew that I didn't want to do anything after homecoming.

I sighed as I listened to the calming music that Alice had insisted we all listen to. We all were covered in that cream and had stuff on our face. Esme, Alice's mom of sorts, had to help us all get covered with the cream and then do our faces. She didn't seem to mind though, she actually enjoyed it. Esme had also insisted that we sit and relax for a half hour while we let everything soak in.

As I sat there, I thought about the changes that occurred over the last week.

Mike had started waiting for me at my locker after first period. He also walks me to as many classes as he can. He comes over to say hi to me at lunch and he waits for me at Alice's car after school. Alice says that it's really sweet and cute that he does all that, but it makes me feel slightly uncomfortable, almost like he's my boyfriend or something. But he doesn't sit with me at lunch or hang out with me before school and that calms my nerves a little bit.

Edward's also been acting a little weird—at least, he seems to be. He seemed angry at something all week, but not at me. He always talks to me first hour, never about homecoming which I am totally fine with, and then walks me to my locker. He also seems hesitant to say goodbye to me after first hour. But the biggest change is the way his eyes look. The first time I really paid attention to them, they held some sort of pain or irritation. But now, they are filled with some unknown sadness and misery. I want to be able to help him out and tell him that I'm here for him, but he never brings anything up and pretends like nothing is wrong.

But we're kind of friends now, so that's a good thing. He's been asking me for help on some trig problems lately. At first I was taken aback by it because he never seemed to have a problem in it before, but I think he just didn't want to admit to anyone else that he didn't fully understand it. I told him I would help him out in whatever way I could. I still remember the way he smiled when I said that—his eyes lost the sorrow for that brief moment and held complete happiness. Just seeing him happy like that is worth spending a Sunday doing trig homework.

He was so hesitant to ask me to come over on Sunday to help him. He fumbled out some apology because it was the day after the homecoming dance, but I told him not to worry about it. He was saving me from a girl's day where Rose and Alice would be pestering me about every little detail about the night before.

The little ding from the timer made me jump slightly because I was so lost in thought. I heard Alice laughing at me and I just rolled my eyes. Let the torture continue.

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The rest of the getting ready process wasn't so bad, and I looked pretty damn good if I say so myself. I was wearing a beautiful bright, emerald green dress. It's a little longer than knee-length but flowed outward, away from my body. It had thicker shoulder straps and a v-neck top. Alice had given me a necklace that had a big green gem surrounded by little crystal gems that hung at the perfect length on a silver chain. I had crystal gemmed earrings and silver heels, which, thankfully, were not more than two inches.

Rose had done my make-up and hair. She curled my hair in big ringlets, which are still in my hair even though we've been at the dance for two hours already. Rose is a genius with curls. She pinned back half of my hair so it was out of my face. Seeing myself in the mirror gave me a big jolt of confidence and I wasn't even nervous to be going to the dance with Mike—I was actually pretty excited.

The guys had shown up around 6:30 because Esme had made dinner for all of us. Alice complained about not being able to go out for dinner, but Esme appeased her by saying that if they ate dinner here, Alice could stay out later that night. So Esme had made a delicious dinner of pasta with tomato sauce, alfredo sauce, and meat balls. She had a garden salad and garlic bread as sides. And since Esme loves to go overboard, she made a chocolate turtle cheesecake—my favorite part of the meal.

After the meal we had almost an hour of pictures: all the girls, all the guys, then couples, and then random groupings and pairings. Esme and Rosalie and Jasper's mom took a million pictures. My mother wasn't there because she was traveling with Phil again. It was exhausting; my cheeks were hurting from smiling so much. When the pictures were finally complete, the couples branched out to their respective cars. Alice drove with Jasper in his car, Rose drove with Emmet in his jeep, and I drove with Mike. The car ride to the dance wasn't as awkward as I thought. We talked about the teachers at school and other random things, but nothing serious or awkward.

The dance itself was okay, which is to be expected. The theme was something to do with stars or nighttime—I really didn't pay attention. The gym was filled with little lights that were trying to seem like stars and there were also gold stars painted on the back drops. The dj was the best part. He played the perfect blend of fast paced songs and slow songs. We all danced in a group for the fast songs, but broke off into couples for the slow songs. I danced with Mike for most of them, but Emmett snagged me for one and I snagged Jasper for two. It was pretty funny to watch Alice dance with Mike!

Another slow song came on and Mike immediately grabbed my waist, pulling me toward him. I placed my arms around his neck leaned toward him a little more. It wasn't uncomfortable to dance with Mike; he never stepped on my feet, which is saying a lot because I can barely dance. He never tried any creeper moves, like sliding his hands down to grab at my butt. He just held me around my waist and never forced me closer or anything; he was actually really sweet.

I looked around during the song and saw Edward dancing with Jessica. She was wearing a light pink dress that was extremely tight, unflatteringly tight. Edward wore simple black dress pants and a pink and white stripped dress shirt. He had opted for no tie which was a good choice for him. While I was watching them, I saw Edward shift his gaze, his eyes meeting mine. I smiled at him, expecting him to smile back. He did after a few seconds, but it looked almost pained or forced. After the song ended, I noticed Edward leave Jessica, who started dancing with Tyler, and walk outside through the doors.

Lauren made her way to Mike and I and asked Mike to dance. He looked at me, slightly unsure what to do. I just smiled at them both. "Go right ahead, I'm going to go get something to drink." It was a lie, I was going to check on Edward, but he didn't need to know that.

I walked through the doors and saw him sitting on a ledge close to the parking lot. He was just staring off into space, obviously deep in thought. I made my way to him, watching him the entire time.

As I slid down to sit next to him I said, "Hi."

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**EDWARD'S POV**

I glanced next to me as I noticed someone sitting down next to me. I figured it was Jessica telling me that I had to come back in, so I was completely taken aback when I heard Bella's voice.

I turned to face her, but I couldn't bring myself to smile. "Hey."

This whole night had just been horrible. Elizabeth was worse than normal, which probably has something to do with the fact that Bella was supposed to come over tomorrow to help me with trig. I feel bad that I kind of stretched the truth to Bella, I didn't really need her help in trig. I mean, I didn't totally understand what was going on, but I could have probably figured it out on my own if I worked at it. But I wanted to be able to talk with Bella for more than just one hour a day at school, so I asked if she could help me.

The last week at school wasn't very good either. I was still upset with Jessica for the mall incident, so we didn't talk a whole lot. Somehow Elizabeth had found out and given me a stern warning, two of her signature slaps, to stop that behavior. I did, but I didn't like it.

I also started talking to Bella more, which was always the highlight of my day. But it wasn't the same as before because now Mike was there every time I turned around. He was always waiting for her and talking with her. It really was getting on my nerves.

And seeing her tonight…with _him_, just topped off this horrible week. She looked breathtaking in her green dress. It hung on her body's every curve and flowed out at the bottom. It looked like it was made to be worn by Bella Swan. And Mike, he was wearing a black shirt with a green tie, that was the exact same color as her dress. Damn, he'd even gotten her a corsage.

But she had stepped away from everyone, Alice and Mike, to come and see me. And I couldn't even be happy with that because she was going to go back to him. I looked back at her and she was looking at me with a sad, soft smile and her brown eyes full of concern. I just couldn't bring myself to say anything.

"How's your night going?" She asked me quietly.

I just snorted because I was unable to think of anything to say.

She laughed. "Yeah, I figured as much since you left your date inside and came out here." She sighed, "I was planning on taking a break from Mike and getting some air too."

I looked at her. "It seemed like you were having a good time with him. Why did you need a break?" I was praying that she would tell me that he tried to make a move on her or something that I could get pissed off at him for.

She just shrugged. "No, Mike's a great guy and everything, but…I just wanted a little break. You know, time to just relax by myself. However, it seems like you beat me to it." She smiled.

I smiled back at her, thankful that she wasn't trying to pry anything out of me. "Yeah, sorry for taking your space."

She shook her head. "Don't apologize. I came out here now because I saw you leave and wondered if you wanted some company."

I couldn't believe that she left her date to come and check on me. That was the sweetest, most caring thing anyone had ever done for me. "Thanks, Bella."

She smiled at me. "No problem." She took a deep breath. "Edward," she said, speaking softer than before. "I know I don't have any right to ask this, but, are you okay?" She was watching me with her concerned eyes, while I just stared at her right back.

She looked down at her hands which were now fidgeting. "I don't want to force you tell me anything if you don't want to, but you just seem…unhappy or something. And I just wanted to let you know that I'm here for you…if you need someone." She looked up at me and gently placed her hand on my arm, squeezing softly. "I'm sure you don't need anyone or wouldn't talk to me when you could choose one of your friends, but just know that I'll always be there to listen." She smiled at me.

I couldn't believe that she was saying this to me. No one had ever noticed any of my emotions before, let alone offered to just listen to me. Without thinking about it, I reached my hand up and covered her little one, squeezing gently. "Thank you, Bella. That really means a lot to me," I told her honestly. She smiled at me and I dropped my hand. "I suppose you probably want to get back inside…"

She shook her head. "No, I'm okay out here for a little while yet." She took her hand off my arm and placed it beside her.

I smiled. "Is it okay if I stay with you?"

She nodded. "Of course." We stayed like that for a few more minutes; both involved in our own thoughts with the comfortable silence surrounded us. Bella broke the silence between us. "You don't want to go back in there, do you?"

I looked at her, with my eyes widened. How could this girl know exactly what I was thinking? I looked down and nodded slowly. She laughed. "There's nothing to feel guilty about, Edward. I wouldn't want to go back either if I had to dance with _Jessica_." I couldn't help but laugh at her comment because she hit the nail on the head with that one.

"You don't have to stay out here with me if you want to get back to your friends and…Mike." I told her. As much as I wanted her to stay with me, I couldn't ask her. It wouldn't be fair of me to ask her to miss out on her dance. I stood up looking at the ground. I was too restless to sit anymore.

Bella stood up and walked to stand next to me. "Do you have any plans for after the dance?" She asked me suddenly, catching me completely off guard.

I shook my head. "No, not really." I didn't want her to think I was a loser, but I didn't want to lie.

She smiled. "Well, what about if we hung out? I mean, I know you have Jessica and your other friends, but you don't want to be here and I'm all for leaving early," She told me with a nervous smile.

I looked at her. "Bella, I can't ask you to do something like that. It wouldn't be fair for you because you are having a good time." I stopped walking and looked down again.

She stopped next to me. "Yeah I was having a good time, but I've had about enough dancing for one night." She stepped in front of me and placed her hand on my cheek, which made me look up at her. "Edward," she whispered. "You're not having a good night and there's something sad in your eyes. You seem like you could use a friend right now and I want to help you, however I can." She smiled but blushed slightly as she dropped her hand.

I couldn't believe she was willing to leave the dance for me. "Really, you really wouldn't mind missing the dance?" I was trying not to get too hopeful, but I couldn't help it.

She smiled at me. "Edward, I told you that when someone I care about needs me, I'm there for them. And, like it or not, you're my friend now and that means I care about you."

"Thank you," I whispered.

She smiled at me. "You're welcome Edward." She wrapped her arms around my neck, pulling me into a hug. The gesture was so unexpected, it took me a few seconds to wrap my arms around her little waist. She chuckled softly with her head on my shoulder. "Sorry, but you looked like you could use a hug."

I smiled and shook my head. "No, don't be sorry. It was what I needed." She was smiling as she pulled away. "Thanks." After I said that, I realized just how many times I had said thanks tonight.

As if to prove the point I just made, Bella rolled her eyes. "You're welcome, but you don't have to thank me every time I do something for you." She glanced toward the doors. "I should probably go tell Alice and Mike that I'm leaving—it's okay if we take your car, right?" She asked me.

I smiled and nodded. "Yeah, that's fine. I'll just meet you in the parking lot."

She smiled and nodded. "Alright, see you in a few minutes." And with that she walked back into the gym and I turned to walk toward my car. I couldn't stop smiling knowing that I finally have someone who cares about me and wants to be there for me. It was something I've always wanted and now I have it, with Bella.

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A/N: So, what do you think is going to happen?? :) I would have continued, but that would have been an extremely long chapter. So, you will all have to wait. If you review I will update sooner... so please review!!

Thanks to everyone who had reviewed, I appreciate every single one of them and they help me to keep going! So thank you so much!! :)

3


	9. Chapter 9

Hey everyone! This is a rather long chapter! I hope you like it. ;) Please review!! 

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Bella's POV

I left Edward outside as I made my way back into the gym. There was only about an hour left of the dance, so everyone was on the dance floor trying to make the most of the final hour. I spotted Rose in her bright red dress dancing with Emmett so I made my way over to them, hoping that everyone else would be near them also.

Once I got to where Rose and Emmett were dancing, I noticed Alice and Jasper, but no Mike. I went to Alice and tapped her on the shoulder. "Where's Mike?"

Alice shrugged. "I don't know. I thought he was with you." She pursed her lips, thinking. "I think he went to hang with his other friends since you weren't around. Which reminds me, where were you?"

I shook my head. "I was just outside."

She looked me up and down, as if trying to figure out if I was lying. "Why were you outside for so long?"

I groaned. "Not now Alice. I'll tell you tomorrow, okay?" I felt bad, but I really just wanted to get back to Edward. I knew something was really upsetting him, and I didn't want him to think that I forgot about him.

She sighed dramatically and pouted. "Fine. But you better tell me every little detail tomorrow."

I smiled. "I promise." I quickly turned away from her, looking for Mike. I finally saw him standing next to Tyler talking about something or other. As I made my way to him, I began wondering what I should say. I can't lie to him and tell him that I'm sick because then he'll drive me home. But he'll probably get upset if I tell him I'm leaving with Edward.

I finally made my way up to him and tapped him on the shoulder. Her turned to me and smiled. "Hey, Bella. I'm glad you're back. Wanna dance?"

I looked down. "Actually Mike, I sort of have to go." I looked up at him apologetically.

He looked around panicked. "Is everything okay? Are you alright?"

I nodded. "Yeah, I'm fine. One of my friends is just having a hard time right now and I need to go with them—if you don't mind that is."

He nodded. "Of course you can go with them. Sorry about you not being able to stay longer…"

I gave him a small smile. "Thanks Mike. I really appreciate you being so understanding and everything." I leaned up and gave him a kiss on the cheek—it was the appropriate thing to do when you ditch your date in the middle of the dance.

Mike just beamed at me. "I hope everything works out alright. I'll see you at school."

I smiled and nodded. Then I bolted to the door. It had taken me longer than I planned so I walked as quickly and safely as I could to Edward's car. He was sitting in it, patiently waiting for me to come back.

I opened the silver door of his Volvo and slid into the seat. "Sorry. Alice wanted me to explain everything to her and then I couldn't find Mike to tell him I was leaving." I looked over at him and he had a small smile on his face.

"That's okay. Although, you did have me worried that I was being stood up." He laughed quietly and began driving away from the school.

"Did you tell Jessica you were leaving?" I asked him, suddenly aware that I was the only one to go back into the school.

He sighed. "No. But she's texted me five times already telling me to get back inside. I finally told her I wasn't coming back inside and she got mad. So I think she's ditched me anyways. I don't really care."

I still noticed the sadness in his eyes even though he was smiling. "Well, where to, Edward?"

He shook his head. "I have no idea. I was hoping you'd have some suggestions." He looked at me.

I paused for a moment, thinking. "Well, if you wouldn't feel weird or anything, we could go back to my house. My mom's gone for the weekend and I'm dying to get into something more comfortable…" I really hoped he didn't think I was completely crazy for suggesting something like that.

He smiled. "That sounds fine with me. But," he paused for a moment. "Do you have any food, because I'm kind of hungry."

I laughed at him. He was so cute the way he was nervous about asking for food. "Of course I have food and yes, you can have something when we get to my house. Oh, and if you want to change out of those clothes, you can borrow something of mine or possibly Phil's—unless that creeps you out." I told him honestly.

He smiled. "Whatever is not too much trouble." I just shook my head at him. We drove the rest of the way in a comfortable silence, listening to the radio. I felt so at ease around Edward, like I didn't have to fill every silence.

After a few minutes, we pulled up to my house—after I told Edward how to get there of course. We got out of his car and I opened the front door to my house. After we both were inside, I quickly locked the door and turned on lights. It freaked me out to be home alone without any lights on or the door unlocked. I know, it's the small town of Forks, but still, you can never be too safe.

I walked into my kitchen and opened the refrigerator. I looked around for something to eat, but most of the food was leftovers that I was supposed to heat up when I was hungry. I looked around the freezer. "Hmm," I said aloud, but mostly to myself. "I could make a pizza otherwise we've only got leftovers." I told him, shutting the doors.

He smiled. "Pizza's fine with me."

I laughed. "Alright, pizza it is." I opened the freezer door again and pulled out the frozen pepperoni pizza. I set it on the counter and programmed the over to preheat. I turned to Edward and grabbed his head. "Follow me." I told him. I don't know why I grabbed his hand, but for some reason I was more risky tonight. I mean, I hugged him and touched his face which is something I normally don't do. But he didn't seem to mind.

I felt Edward squeeze my hand and I turned to look at him. He was smiling now, most of the sadness gone from his eyes. I dragged him to my mom's room and went to Phil's drawers. I pulled out a pair of gym shorts and then started off to my room—I was going to give Edward one of my t-shirts to wear.

Once I got to my room, I set the shorts down on my bed. I began rifling through my drawers looking for something for myself and Edward. I heard him clear his throat behind me. I turned to look at him, wondering if something was wrong.

"Bella, are you sure it's okay if I borrow those? I don't want to impose or cause you any trouble." He told me, looking down again.

I gave him an exasperated sigh. "Edward, it's fine if you wear his shorts. I was going to get you one of my t-shirts, if that's okay." At this he smiled a little and nodded. "Besides, Emmett borrows Phil's stuff all the time and Phil doesn't get mad. Except when Emmett stretches his clothes out—then he does. But I don't think you'll have to worry about that; you're not a giant like Emmett." I finally found a shirt for him and threw it at him. He laughed and went to retrieve the shorts as I continued searching my drawers. "The bathroom is just down the hall to you right."

He left the room, shutting the door behind him. I found a pair of sweatpants that I cut around the knees and grabbed another t-shirt for myself. I quickly slid out of my dress and shoes and threw on my comfortable clothing. I undid my hair and took of my jewelry. I placed my dress, shoes, and jewelry on my desk and walked back downstairs to the kitchen.

I walked in just as the timer was beeping, signaling that the oven was done preheating. I carefully slid the pizza and the sheet it was on into the over. I programmed the timer and then sat upon the counter top. I kept wondering what was going on with Edward. I've gone to high school with him for over two years and he always seemed happy. But then again, I never really talked to him until this year. Well, tonight I was going to figure out what was bothering him.

I jumped off the counter and walked into the living room. I went to the movie cabinet and riffled through my movies. I had a lot of chick flicks because my mom and I are the only two that really ever watch movies. But we also had a few comedies. I picked out _40 Year Old Virgin_ and _Meet the Fockers_ and decided to let him pick. They both seemed like something that he would possibly want to watch.

"Bella?"

I jumped when I heard him call me. And then I heard him laugh, so I knew he saw that. I narrowed my eyes at him. "Jerk." Then I threw a pillow at him since it was the only weapon I had at hand.

He came and sat next to me. "Sorry, I didn't mean to laugh. You just jumped so high off the couch…and," he stopped because he was laughing again. I rolled my eyes but laughed with him.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. Anyways, which movie do you want to watch?" I asked him and showed him the movies.

He looked at them and pondered them for a moment. "I think…um…_40 Year Old Virgin_…?" He said in a question.

I got up from the couch and put the movie into the DVD player. I turned everything on and then sat back down to wait through the previews. "Sorry, but my mom lost the remote for the DVD player, so we have to sit through the previews."

He just smiled at me. "That's okay. I don't mind."

When the previews were almost done, I heard the timer going off again. I got up from the couch and started walking to the kitchen. I noticed Edward start to get up but I shook my head at him, and he sat back down. That was really sweet of him to want to come and help me in the kitchen, but he looks like he needs to relax. Maybe I should give him a massage later. Alice always wants one when she's stressed and she tells me I'm pretty good. Well, we'll see. I don't want to freak him out or anything.

I turned off the timer as soon as I got into the kitchen. I turned off the oven and carefully took the pizza out of the oven. I set it on the counter to cool off while I went back to my fridge. I grabbed two Cokes out and walked them back to the living room. I handed them to Edward and then walked back to the kitchen. I began searching for the pizza cutter. After looking through four drawers, I finally found it. I quickly sliced the pizza and placed two slices on two plates. And then I piled the rest of the slices on another plate and began walking toward the living room, balancing three plates in my hands.

I walked over to him and nudged a plate in his direction. "Here's your pizza." I told him as he took it. He smiled at me and said thanks as I placed the extra plate on the floor and took a big bite out of my slice. I settled back into the couch as the movie began.

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**Edward's POV**

I can't believe I'm sitting here in Bella's house, on her couch, wearing her shirt. I couldn't wipe the smile off my face. She was completely unbelievable, in a good way.

I glanced back at the kitchen as I heard her rummaging around. She was feeding me and taking care of me. I can't really understand why—I've never even talked to her until this year.

I thought back to when I was waiting for her in my car. I still remember that small fear when I thought she might not come back for me. Or she might have realized she wanted to stay at the dance with Mike. I couldn't blame her—he can do more for her than I can.

But she did come back. I smiled while I watched her walk to my car and get in. I still can't believe that she came with me. That Bella, sweet, caring Bella, wants to be with me—at least for the night. She wants to help me and be there for me. I still can't wrap my head around that; no one has ever wanted to be there for me.

"Here's your pizza." I turned around and took the plate that she offered me. I took the plate and watched as she turned on the movie and sat back down. I couldn't help but think about how beautiful she was.

I ate my pizza while watching the movie, but my mind was elsewhere. I laughed and looked at Bella when she laughed, but I wasn't paying attention. I couldn't stop thinking about what I was doing here. I know she invited me here, but she invited me here to figure out what is wrong with me. That's very sweet of her, but I don't know how much I can really tell her.

I really want to be able to take this wall down and let her in, but I don't think I can. I've had it up and blocked people out for so long that I don't think I'll be able to fully let anyone in. I've been let down my entire life. First by my parents and then Elizabeth—who's to say that she won't just leave me or worse, laugh or tell everyone what I tell her. I don't think I could take that pain.

No, Bella wouldn't do that. She's different from all the other girls. She's not vain or overly concerned about her appearance. She's really sweet and caring; I know that I could trust her. Bella wouldn't just ignore me when I need her.

"Edward?" I turned to look at her, raising my eyebrows. "The movie's over," she said with a smile.

I glanced back at the screen and, sure enough, the movie was over. "How long has it been over?" I seriously hope that she hadn't been watching me; she'll think I'm a freak or something.

She smiled at me, picked up the plates and empty cans and started toward the kitchen. "About twenty minutes or so," she called over her shoulder.

I groaned and followed her into the kitchen. "Oh," I said quietly to the floor. I was embarrassed at having Bella watch me while I was deep in thought.

She dumped the dishes and cans into the sink, wiped her hands on a dish towel and turned back to me. "Don't worry about it, Edward. You did nothing wrong," She told me. I glanced up at her as she made her way back towards me. "I would like to know what you were thinking about, if you want to tell me…" She gently bit her lip and looked away.

I knew she wanted to know what I was thinking about, but I just didn't want to dump this on her. I shook my head and looked down. "Can I tell you another time?"

She smiled. "Sure, whatever you want. You don't have to tell me at all if you don't want to." She walked back out to the living room. "Oh, it's close to one." She looked at me. "I suppose you have to get going."

I smiled and shook my head. "Not if you don't want me too," I told her. Her smile told me what I wanted to hear; she wanted me to stay. I walked over to her and laughed. "Besides, I can't possibly leave you here alone this late at night. Who knows what could be lurking outside your window," I joked with her.

She laughed. "Yeah, Jessica and her little entourage are probably waiting for the perfect moment to strike."

I went and sat back down on the floor. "I'll be right back," she told me as she made her way back upstairs. I was going to stay here, with Bella. I was going to spend the night with Bella. I couldn't believe my luck. This was going to be the best night…ever.

Bella came back a few minutes later, her arms full of pillows and blankets. She dumped them on the floor and smiled at me. "I figured we could at least be comfortable."

I stood up and helped her lay the blankets down on the floor. When we were done, Bella went and put on another movie. She came back and sat down next to me.

"Edward, can I ask you a question?" She asked me quietly.

I turned to face her and nodded. "Sure."

"Well, you don't have to answer if you don't want to, but…why did you want to leave the dance tonight?" She took a breath and looked at me.

"I don't really know," I told her. "Jessica was really getting on my nerves and so was everyone else. Besides, I've never really liked dances anyways." I gave her a half smile while she nodded. I didn't wish to elaborate. "Now, I get to ask you one. Are you upset that your mother's not here?"

She looked shocked that I asked that question, like I really caught her off guard. "Um…that's not a question I thought you would ask," she told me. I was about to apologize when she continued. "Yes and no. I'm upset that she's not here and she's not around for the things that happen in my life. She loves to travel with Phil and I don't try to hold that against her, but sometimes it's really hard."

She took a deep breath, her eyes started to sparkle with tears. "I understand that she wants to be with her husband, but sometimes I wish she was a little more concerned for me." She looked down at her hands, twisting her hands nervously. "Sometimes it feels like she doesn't care enough about me to stay here for me." She looked up at me, her eyes brimming with tears; this was not the reaction I was expecting.

She widened her eyes and started talking at an incredibly fast pace. "She's not a bad mother or anything—she's really great. I mean, she's really nice and she really does love me—"

"Bella," I interrupted her, covering her hand with mine. "You don't have to explain. I didn't think your mother was a bad mom. I understand that sometimes you just need to vent," I told her honestly. I wanted to tell her how many times I wished for someone just to listen to me complain. I squeezed her hand gently and gave her a small smile.

She turned her hand over under mine, intertwining our fingers together. "Thanks, Edward." She whispered.

I squeezed her hand again. "I know what it's like to wish you had someone to listen to you—even when it's something you think is unimportant."I told her quietly. I had always wished for someone to listen to me and be there for me. And now I had someone, but I couldn't bring myself to say anything else.

I think Bella understood because she didn't press the subject. "I get to ask you another one, since you asked me one." She smiled. "Do you really need help in trig or did you just want to hang out with me?" She smiled at me, refusing to let me pull my hand from hers—not that I minded.

I felt my face getting warm and hoped that I wasn't blushing—that was Bella's thing. I can't believe she saw right through that. "Well, I might need help tomorrow, so I figured I might as well have someone on hand who could help me if I needed it," I mumbled, looking anywhere but at her.

She giggled at me—oh my God that was the cutest sound ever. "I knew it!" She laughed now and I couldn't help but join in.

"Alright, you caught me. You're not mad are you?" I asked her, realizing that she could actually be upset that I lied to her. I looked at her, looking for any signs of anger. But she was just smiling at me.

She shook her head. "No, I'm not mad at you!" She looked at me and smiled. "You're so cute when you're nervous."

I'm pretty sure my eyes were wide and my mouth dropped open in shock, but I couldn't bring myself to care—Bella said I looked cute. Maybe she does like me…

I shook that off when Bella pulled her hand from mine and gently touched my chin and pushing it up. So I had let my mouth hang open, that's great. I expected her to move her hand, but she didn't. She held it on my cheek, gently brushing her thumb against my skin.

"Why do little things affect you so much? Like when I made you pizza, or went to sit by you at the dance. Or even right now when I said you were cute, or the way I'm touching you right now?" She asked me quietly.

I looked at her, unsure what to say. I cast my eyes downward. "I don't know. I'm sorry." I whispered.

I heard her laugh quietly. "Edward, you have nothing to apologize for." She leaned her head toward mine and kissed my cheek. "You don't have to always apologize for little things. They don't upset me." She smiled.

I calmed down after that. I realized that Bella was my friend, a real friend. She wasn't judging me or forcing me to talk. She was just…letting me be myself.

We talked for a while after that, mostly about school and classes, nothing too serious. It was the most relaxed I've felt in a while. No one was there expecting me to act a certain way or say a specific thing. It was complete bliss.

We ended up turning on the television, skimming the stations until we found something interesting to watch. Bella laid down in our bed on the floor and began watching television. I slipped under the blankets and laid down next to Bella.

We laid in silence for a while, but then I began hearing Bella's breathing begin to steady. I turned to face her and saw her eyes were closed. She looked so peaceful when she was asleep. She was breathtakingly beautiful.

Why was I such a wimp and can't say any of this to her face? Why can't I be that guy for her? God, I wish I could be that guy for her. The guy who can take her out to the movies or dinner. The guy who holds her hand or can wrap his arm around her waist or shoulders in public, showing everyone that she's his girlfriend. The guy who gets to hold her and kiss her…and love her.

I know I can never be that guy for her; Elizabeth would never allow it. Even if she did, I doubt Bella would be able to see me as more than just her friend.

I had just closed my eyes when I heard her whisper my name. I opened my eyes instantly and searched her face; but she was still asleep. I heard her say my name again and I smiled to myself, happy that Bella was dreaming about me.

I shifted my body closer to her and draped my arm around her waist. Since she didn't wake, I figured that she was okay with having my arm around her waist. "I think I'm in love with you, Bella," I whispered. "I wish I could tell you."

Sighing, I pressed my body along the length of hers. She shifted to get closer to me and placed her hands on my chest. Smiling, I closed my eyes and followed her into sleep.

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A/N: What did you think? Please, please review!! I'm going to ask for five reviews before I post another chapter because I want to know if you guys like it or not!

I really want to thank those of you who have reviewed! You have no idea how much that means to me! Your reviews keep me going and inspired me to finish this chapter sooner!! :)


	10. Chapter 10

Hey everyone! First I want to thank my reviewers for the last chapter: TeamCullen88, ketzchexmex, , Jaspermytwin, and Marie Elaine Cullen!! Thank you so much for reviewing--it keeps me going! I also want to apologize for taking a little longer than I expected. I couldn't get this chapter to work right! I hope it's okay! It's more of a filler chapter!! Please review.

Does everyone know by now that I don't own twilight? SM does...

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**Bella's POV**

I woke up with Edward's chest was cuddled against my back and his arm wrapped around my waist. I smiled to myself, but didn't open my eyes. I wanted to enjoy this moment because I knew it would be over all too soon. I liked the feeling of lying next to him, with his arms around me. I felt safe, protected, and…like I belong.

Carefully I pulled away from Edward's body and slowly turned so I could face him. I looked at his face; it was so peaceful while he was sleeping. He was breathing deeply at a steady pace which comforted me more than I expected. Carefully, I reached my hand up and gently placed my hand on his face, barely touching it. "You're so amazing and you don't even know it," I whispered to him.

I took my hand from his face and placed my arms around him as I snuggled closer to him. I knew I wasn't going to sleep, but I just wanted to be close to him. I placed my head next to his chest, breathing in his scent. He shifted suddenly and I thought he had woken up, but he just tightened his arm around me, pulling me closer to him. A few seconds later, his breathing steadied again.

Everything about him was perfect. He was so understanding and extremely considerate. I smiled sadly at just how true the words were that I whispered to him. He was the most amazing guy I've ever met, but he doesn't see it. He doesn't think he's worthy of love and affection. I can't see why he thinks that, but I picked up on it throughout the night.

I wish I could see what he was thinking. I wish he would have confided in me more; but I figure that will come with time. Maybe, if he even wants to be my friend anymore. He seemed like it last night. Actually, he seemed like he wanted to be more than friends.

No, of course not. Edward would never _like_ a girl like me.

I sighed as I tried to push myself closer to him. I know that I definitely felt something for him. I know that I care about him a lot and want him to be happy. I also want to be able to be there for him and help him with whatever is troubling him. But do I really like him?

That I'm not so sure about. I know that I could like him and probably do, but I don't want to admit that. I don't want to ruin whatever type of bond we're forming right now. Also, I don't want to put myself through that—liking him and wanting him to want me when he doesn't and couldn't. We're from completely different worlds and can never be together like that.

I felt Edward's arms tighten around me as he pulled me to him. I felt him place his head next to mine. He pulled away slightly, pressing his face into my hair. I heard him sigh contentedly. "Bella…" he whispered.

"Yes?" I asked him, peering up to look at him.

The look on his face was complete embarrassment and guilt. He looked as though I had just caught him doing something he shouldn't be doing. He seemed like he was about to pull away so I hugged myself to him and smiled. "Good morning, Edward. Did you sleep okay?"

He hugged me back and then let go. I rolled away from him, slightly. "Morning, Bella. Yeah I did," he smiled at me, a dreamy smile before continuing. "How'd you sleep?"

I smiled and laughed. "Really good, which is surprising because I normally can't sleep on the floor."

I sighed and started to get up. I only made it to the sitting position—I wasn't very functional in the morning. It normally took me a while before I could actually do anything productive. "Do you still want me to come over and be there in case you need help with trig?" I asked him with a smirk.

He looked down, embarrassed, but nodded. "Yeah, if you want to. If you have stuff to do, I understand."

I snorted, very ladylike. "Of course I want to. What else would I have to do? Sit here and wait for my mom and Phil to come home? All I'd be doing is homework anyways." I smiled and finally stood up.

He looked up at me and smiled. "Alright. That sounds good." Then he, very effortlessly, stood up and began placing the pillows on the couch. I realized that he was going to help me clean up. I took the pillows back upstairs and placed them on my bed. By the time I'd gotten back downstairs, Edward had already folded up all the blankets. How could he be so alert this early in the morning?

I felt really guilty so I looked down at my bare feet. "Thanks, Edward. You didn't have to do that." I told him quietly.

He just shrugged. "I don't mind. Especially since you did all that for me yesterday. I owed you."

"I guess you're right," I told him, laughing slightly. I looked over at the clock and my eyes widened. "Oh my god, it's after twelve already!"

Edward sighed, "Yeah I noticed that. Unfortunately I have to get going…" he hesitated then looked me in the eyes. "Could you come over around three or so? Does that work?" I just nodded to him. He smiled. "Cool, maybe we can get dinner or something to—I have to pay you back for the dinner you made me last night." He smiled.

"Alright, that sounds good. Oh, you can just borrow those clothes if you want; that way you don't have to change and can just get home," I suggested.

He smiled. "Thanks, Bella. Okay, I guess I'll see you around three—do you know how to get to my house?"

I shook my head and he proceeded to tell me exactly how to get there. I just looked at him, trying my best to listen to what he was saying. After a few minutes, he went to his pile of clothes and picked up his phone. "What's your number? I'll call you so you have my number and can just call me when you're leaving," he told me.

I recited my number to him and he told me he would call my cell from the car. I thanked him and we said goodbye. Then he left.

I made my way to the kitchen, planning on cleaning it up so it wouldn't be messy when my mom and Phil came home. As I was cleaning, I thought about Edward and the way he acted last night. He was like a completely different person. He seemed happy and not like he was at school. At school, he's kind of quiet and just follows along with what other people do.

When I was done with the kitchen, I doubled checked to make sure the living was clean. Then I made my way upstairs to start getting ready. I took a shower, washed my face, and blow-dried my hair. Then I walked back to my room and picked out an outfit to wear. I chose just regular jeans and a cute light blue shirt. I put on a little bit of make-up and brushed my hair.

When I was done, I checked my phone. There were three texts; two from Alice and one from Rose, both were demanding what happened last night. And six missed calls. I listened to the voicemails. I wasn't at all surprised when Alice's voice started shrieking in my ears asking my voicemail all these questions. Where did I go, why did I leave the dance, was I with anyone, when was I going to come over today. Then her voice got cut off because she had been rambling on. The next message was from Rose asking similar questions, but she was more concerned that I was okay. The next message was from Emmett, which surprised me. He called and told me to call him to let him know that I was alright. Then another message from Alice. A message from my mom telling me that she and Phil would be boarding their plan around four. And finally, a message from Edward. I smiled to myself as I listened to his voice:

"Hey Bella. I just got into my car and called your phone to give you my number, but I decided to leave you a voicemail. I just wanted to thank you again for being so nice to me yesterday and sort of taking care of me. It was really sweet of you. Anyways, I'll see you later. Bye."

I laughed to myself. He was so cute. I looked over at the clock and was surprised to see that it was two-thirty. I can't believe it took me a little over two hours to get ready. But I guess I cleaned up too.

I packed up my backpack and made my way downstairs. I went to the counter and quickly scribbled a note to my mom telling her I was at a friend's house helping them with homework. I told her I wasn't sure exactly when I was going to get home, but I had my cell phone.

I made my way outside and quickly made my way to my car. It had started to rain, naturally. Once I got inside I pulled out my phone and pressed the button for Edward's number. The phone rang three times before I heard him say, "Hello?"

I smiled, just hearing his voice made me smile. "Hey Edward. I was calling to see if it was okay if I left a few minutes earlier than three." He just laughed so I figured it was okay. "Well, I still don't know how to get to your house," I told him.

He stopped laughing and began telling me how to get to his house from my house. I listened and did my best to memorize what he was telling me. It was a little easier now that I was outside and could see the street signs. After he was done telling me how to get there, he told me he'd see me soon. I just responded that I hoped he would—meaning I figured I was going to get lost. He just laughed as he said goodbye.

I started to drive along the street, trying really hard to remember what he told me to do. I have a horrible memory and am very bad with directions. I was just hoping that I would be able to make it to Edward's house.

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**Edward's POV**

I laughed to myself as I hung up the phone with Bella. She had called me three times already asking me for more directions. She keeps making a wrong turn or she can't remember what street name she was looking for. I never expected Bella to be so forgetful, but it was still cute.

I heard my phone ring once more and picked it up. It was Bella—again. "Bella, are you lost again? You were only a few minutes away from my house!"

She huffed out a breath. "No, I am not lost. I'm calling to tell you that I'm in your driveway…I just…um well, I just didn't know what I should do," She told me quietly.

I smiled. It was so Bella to be nervous about walking up to a door. "Alright, I'll meet you at the door." I hung up and threw my phone onto my bed.

I quickly walked to my front door and opened it. There was Bella, starting to slowly walk toward my door. I laughed, "Come on in, Bella."

She smiled and blushed. She walked in and stood next to me. I shut the door and started walking back toward my room. Elizabeth was standing at the kitchen counter. This was not something I was looking forward to.

Elizabeth was extremely pissed when I told her that Bella was coming over to help me with trig. She demanded to know why I asked for help in the first place—no son of _hers_ should need help with anything.

That pissed me off so I spat out, "I'm not your fucking son!" I knew that was not something that I should have said, but I couldn't help it when it popped out of my mouth. She glared and me and slapped me across the face. I expected as much.

I did not expect her to grip my arm the way she did; she dug her fingers into my upper arm and hissed out that I was her son and I should act like it. I should be respectful of her and do what she says.

Since I had no choice, I apologized to her and said that I did need help and that's why I asked Bella. She wasn't part of my group and she wouldn't tell anyone. Elizabeth seemed to relax after that. She said that as soon as I understood it, I was expected to stop asking Bella for help any more. I just nodded to her and she let me go. She needless to say, I was nervous about how she was going to treat Bella.

I stopped when Elizabeth glared at me; she only glared for a split second before softening her gaze to prepare for the motherly role. I groaned—let the acting begin.

"Edward, who is this?" Elizabeth asked me, pretending to be sweet.

"This is Bella. Bella this is Elizabeth Masen…my…mother," I said. I hated calling her that, but I knew Elizabeth was expecting that.

Bella smiled sweetly at Elizabeth. "It's nice to meet you Ms. Masen," Bella said politely.

Elizabeth seemed to like that so she smiled. "Same to you," she said.

I shifted uncomfortably from side to side and cleared my throat. "Well…Bella and I should get started," I said quietly. And without waiting for Elizabeth to respond, I grabbed Bella's arm and started pulling her toward my room. I didn't want to spend another minute with Elizabeth.

Bella just followed me quietly and didn't say anything to me. I walked into my room and quickly shut the door behind us. I let out a sigh and relaxed a little because I had gotten through the worst of the night.

I turned to face Bella and she was looking at me intently. I quirked a brow at her and she immediately looked down and blushed. I smiled at her, "What were you looking at?"

She shook her head and sat her backpack on the ground and sat down on the edge of my bed. She looked up at me and asked, "Should we get started?"

I just nodded and joined her on my bed. I picked up my trig book and began to work my way through the problems. I looked over to find Bella was now lying on her stomach on the floor with her trig book open in front of her. I watched her as she tapped her pencil on the side of the book thinking about the problem she was working on. It was so cute.

I got back to trying to work on my trig homework because I knew that I had to make some sort of effort. I couldn't have her notice that I didn't make any progress on my homework.

We worked in silence for a while before I heard her shut her trig book. I looked up at her, "Are you done already?"

She blushed a little and nodded. "Yeah, I tend to work fast on trig."

I looked at her and then back down to my book. I still had ten problems left to do. I heard her laugh and looked up at her. "What?"

She smiled and pulled out a very weathered copy of _Wuthering Heights._ "You can finish while I read. After all, I am here in case you need help."

I smiled at her and started working on my problems. After fifteen more minutes, I was finally done. I looked up at Bella again. She was reading intently, gently biting on her lower lip. I think she felt me staring because she looked up at me. I immediately looked away and started closing my book.

"Did you finish your problems?" She asked me.

I nodded to her. "Yeah, sorry it took so long."

She just smiled at me. "Don't apologize, you do trig at a normal pace," She laughed. "Alice always says I'm like a robot when I'm doing trig homework." I laughed with her.

I looked at her, staring intently into her beautiful brown eyes. Maybe I should talk to her—tell her that I like her. Or maybe I could tell her about Elizabeth…or something.

Yeah, I should talk to her about something—she talked about her life. I should at least return the favor. "Hey, Bella, can I talk to you about something?" I asked her quietly.

She looked up at me with concern written all over her face. "Of course, Edward. You can talk to me about anything."

"Well…um…I—"

I was immediately interrupted by her cell phone ringing. Bella jumped and scrambled to find her phone. "Oh, Edward, I'm so sorry…" She picked it up and glanced at it and groaned. "Hello…" she said timidly. All I heard was a deep voice yelling at her; Bella had moved the phone away from her ear for a minute. She took a deep breath when the yelling was complete. "Emmett…look, I'm really, really sorry. I know I didn't call you last night—" She paused again while the voice, Emmett yelled another phrase. "Okay, or this morning. I'm sorry I listened to your messages but then was late to meet up with Edward—Edward Masen."

She sighed while she listened to the voice again. "No, we're not on a date." Bella blushed when she said this. "No, we're working on trig homework. He doesn't understand what we're working on right now and I'm helping him out." She gave me a small, apologetic smile. I shook my head at her and smiled, hopeful that she understood that I wasn't upset.

"Emmett…I'm still here with him right now. Can I talk to you tomorrow?" She listened to him. "Tell Alice I'll call her when I get home…Thanks Emmett." She sighed as she closed her phone.

She looked up at me, her face apologetic. "I'm really sorry about that. Emmett…he's like my big brother and he was really worried about me…" she trailed off.

I just gave her a small smile. "It's not a problem, Bella. It's nice to know you have people around who care about you and love you," I told her. My voice sounded sad, even to me, but I couldn't bring myself to talk to Bella about anything right now. I was feeling so…alone.

I witnessed that phone call that showed just how much Emmett cared about Bella; it just made me more aware of the fact that I have no one. I don't even have Bella—not in the way that I need her.

We both jumped at the knock on my door. "Edward…I think it's time for your…_friend_ to get going. We have to eat dinner," Elizabeth said curtly while opening the door.

"Alright, we just finished up," I told her. Elizabeth just nodded once and then walked out, leaving my door open. I looked back down at Bella who was already packing up her stuff. "Sorry that I can't take you out to dinner like I was planning," I told her quietly. I had really been looking forward to doing something nice for Bella after everything she did for me yesterday.

She smiled at me and shook her head. "Don't worry about it, Edward. I understand. Besides, I have to face the wrath of Alice tonight and it would probably be better, for her, if I went to her house." She stood up and walked over to where I was still sitting on my bed.

I just looked up at her, unsure what to do. I really wanted to give her a hug—who am I kidding, I really wanted to kiss her, but I knew I couldn't. She gave me a small smile before placing her little hand on my cheek. She leaned closer to me and whispered, "Take care, Edward. I'm just a phone call away if you need me." She leaned in and gave me a quick kiss on the cheek.

She walked away and picked up her bag. "Thanks, Bella," I said quietly as I watched her sling her bag over her shoulder. She gave me another smile and then walked out of my room.

I got up, crossed to my door and shut it. And since I didn't want to be bothered by Elizabeth, I locked the door as well. I went back and laid on my bed. Laying there by myself, I allowed myself to wallow in my own misery for the rest of the night.

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A/N: So, what did you guys think?? Oh and I know that my people are OOC, but it's an all human fic so I figure it's ok!! :) Please review!! Tell me what you like, don't like, want to see, don't want to see... anything and everything! I will update sooner with the more reviews I get--I feel like people are waiting so it inspires me to work harder!!

Oh, also I have to advertise my other fic on here. I was working on this chapter yesterday but I got distracted and started writing another story. It's Alice and Jasper's first meet. It's by the book, but some things might be a tad different for the sake of my story. It's a one shot as of now, but if you would read it and review, that would be awesome! If you do want to read it, please review and let me know if you think i should keep going and make it a multi-chapter story or keep it a one shot!

Thanks! I love you all! 3


	11. Chapter 11

Hey everyone! So...here's chapter 11. I know some of you are probably getting frustrated that nothing is really happening with Bella and Edward yet, but fear not. It was soon...very soon! :) Hopefully this chapter will help you understand a little bit more as to why Edward isn't doing anything. I hope you like it. As always, please review! :)

Disclaimer: I do not own the characters of Twilight...SM does. 

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Bella's POV

I can't believe it's Thursday already. This week has gone by so fast. Well, that's probably because every time I turn around Alice or Rose is always there, asking me more questions about my "date" with Edward. I've told them that it wasn't a date, but they keep insisting that it was.

I left Edward's that Sunday night and immediately went over to the Cullen's house. I knew Alice wanted to talk to me about everything and I figured she would be happier if I came to her house. Of course, I should have expected Rose to be there as well.

They told me to start with when I left the dance and go from there. I told them that I left with Edward because something was wrong with him and I felt like he needed a friend. Then I told them how he came back to my house, ate pizza, and watched a few movies.

"OH MY GOD! DID YOU…you know?" Rose shouted but then graciously dropped her voice at the end. Emmett heard this and came barging into Alice's room, demanding to hear the rest of the story. I told them that nothing happened, we just talked. And that we really did homework when I went there on Sunday. They looked extremely skeptical so I assured them that was all we did.

But they still haven't let it go. They, Rose and Alice, are convinced that Edward likes me and wants to go out with me. I always tell them that there's no way he would ever ask me out because we don't run in the same circles. As much as I tell them that, I say it to try and convince myself.

Whenever I'm with Edward or even just talking to him, I get this weird feeling. I have butterflies in my stomach and when he touches me, I feel my skin tingle. I know, as much as I don't want to admit it, I liked Edward Masen.

It is dumb and stupid because I know that even _if_ he did like me, it would never be enough to cause him, the popular jock, to ask out me, the awkward outcast. I had to constantly remind myself of that because I couldn't afford to get my hopes up for something that would never happen anyways.

Besides, Edward hasn't been acting differently at all. He still only talks to me during first hour and then walks me to my locker. There, Mike meets me and walks me to my next class. Edward doesn't even acknowledge me in the cafeteria, or anywhere else for that matter. I did go over to his house again this week to work on trig and other homework.

I went over there last night and it was amazing. We talked for over an hour, not really getting a whole lot of work done. His mother kept popping her head in and checking on us. I kept feeling like every time her face appeared in his room or the door opened, Edward has just been about to tell me something.

I know there's something on his mind—I can see that whenever we talk. He always looks at me, as if measuring me up or trying to decide if he can trust me. I understand and would never want to pressure him into telling me something that he wasn't ready to do or anything like that. But part of me wished he could see that he could trust me with anything. I would never tell anyone or make him feel dumb—at least I hope that I would never make him feel dumb. I want to protect him and make him happy. He seems like he doesn't get that enough.

As I watch him while sitting at my friends' and my table, I can't help but notice that he's not the same as he was last night. He looks…lost almost—or out of place. I can't understand why and maybe that's why I keep looking at him. He is right where he belongs, so he shouldn't feel like that.

I realized that I had been staring over at him for awhile now, so I quickly dropped my gaze back to my notebook where I was trying to study for the English quiz I had today. However, my pen just kept making little doodles all over the place.

My mind was constantly on Edward. I wanted to know what was wrong or making him so sad. I wanted to know why he would never talk to me outside first hour. I know that most of the reason why I want to know these things is because I like him—a lot, but I also truly care about him and something about him pulls at my heartstrings, making me want to be there for him.

I can't really describe it—I've never felt this feeling before. It feels like I need to see him and be with him because if I'm not, he's all I can think about. I know Alice and Rose say that's because I like him and I know that's partly true, but I also know there's a reason much deeper than that. And it's driving me crazy that I can't figure out what the other reason is!

Oh well. There will be plenty of time to think about Edward and that strange pulling sensation throughout the day.

I felt someone nudge me and looked up to see Rose nodding her head toward the cafeteria doors. I looked over there and saw Edward walking out. I knew she wanted me to go after him, but I just shook my head at her. I was not going to follow Edward and make him think I'm a crazy stalker. Or worse, like Jessica or Tanya.

I shuddered at that thought. No, I was definitely not going to let him think that. Maybe that's part of the reason I don't want to talk to him about how I feel. I know that he could have anyone he wants so there's no way he would choose me. But aside from that, I wouldn't want him to think that I was only talking to him because I thought he was cute. So as you can see, I'm in a dilemma here.

I know that I should talk to him and just tell him how I feel. Both Alice and Rose are completely for this option. But I'm terrified to do so. Because of the reasons I just stated and I wouldn't want to face that rejection. Not only the way he would shoot down my romantic feelings, but also because I was afraid he would just stop talking to me. As crazy as it sounds, I don't think I could handle that. I know we really only started talking a little over a week ago, but I can't imagine not being able to talk with him again. I feel different when I'm with him; like what I have to say matters to him.

I'm not trying to say that my friends treat me badly, but it's hard to have friends that all have a significant other when you're the only one who doesn't. They don't ignore me or forget about me, but I always feel like I'm intruding when we go to the movies or something—kinda like I'm the fifth wheel.

Ahh…it's no use. I can't stop thinking about him and it's driving me crazy to constantly think about him. I literally can't wrap my head around what I'm really feeling for him and whether or not I should tell him.

I sighed as I heard the bell ring—time for first period. I mumbled a goodbye to my friends and walked away. I walked through the halls, my mind still on Edward, and before I knew it, I was at my classroom. I walked in and sat down at my desk. I started unpacking my bag when I noticed he came in. While I didn't notice so much as I felt him come in. I know that makes me sounds crazy, but he gives off this weird vibe or energy that I can feel when he's near. God, I sound ridiculous.

I didn't say anything to him because I wasn't sure what to say. I left him last night when his mom came into his room and demanded that I leave. It was only eight and I got there a little after six—but whatever. Some parents are just strict I guess. But the look on Edward's face when she came in and yelled was…heartbreaking. He looked sad and upset that I was leaving, but I also noticed a hint of fear in his eyes when I looked at him. I wanted to stay and hold him and tell him that I was there and everything was going to be alright. But I also wondered what he could possibly be afraid of, but I didn't mention anything and Edward just returned to his normal self as soon as she was out of the room.

"Hey Bella. How was the rest of your night last night?" He asked me, breaking me out of my trance-like state. He was smiling at me, that crooked smile that makes my heart skip a beat. Damn it, Bella. You need to relax or you're going to scare him off.

"Hi Edward. My night was pretty good I guess; I don't really remember what else I did besides homework." I returned his smile and asked, "How was your night?" I was really curious to see if anything happened last night. The look on his face had me extremely worried and I got a weird feeling from his mother. I feel like something is just not right with those two.

Edward looked down, away from my eyes and mumbled, "My night was fine…nothing happened." That made me frown. He wasn't acting like nothing happened.

I was about to ask him if he was okay when Mr. Smithe—damn him—walked in and announced a pop quiz. I heard Edward groan beside me so I turned to him and whispered, "You'll be fine. You get this stuff." I gave him a reassuring smile and turned to grab the test from the girl in front of me.

I turned my quiz over and immediately filled out my name and period number. I began to quickly work through my quiz. Surprisingly, it wasn't as hard as I thought it was going to be. After about thirty minutes, I took my completely quiz up to the front of the room and placed it on his desk.

I returned to my desk and noted the assignment on the board. It was extremely long and a review of the entire last chapter. I groaned as I copied the assignment down in my planner and began to work on it for the remainder of the hour.

I started hearing people beginning to pack up, so I glanced up at the clock. There was a minute left to this period. I packed up my things and finished right as the bell was ringing. I started walking toward my locker with Edward right beside me. I took my chance.

"Edward…are you okay? Sorry, but you just seem like something is bothering you…" I trailed off, unsure how to finish that.

He looked shocked that I asked him that question, but quickly masked it and returned to looking slightly amused with everything. God, I hated that look. It looks so fake. "Yeah, I'm fine Bella. Thanks."

"Bella….hey." We both turned to see Mike Newton looking at us both and grinning like a fool. Oh crap.

"Hey Mike. What's up?" I asked him. Edward just glared at him, literally glared but Mike didn't notice. He was just starting at me.

"Well, I was wondering if…um…maybe you were free tomorrow night. It's just that…well…a group of us are going to go to that new teen club in town and I…um…wanted to see if you would want to go with me…" He trailed off, blushing a lot and looking down at the ground.

I sighed, as annoying as he was, he was a pretty nice guy. I mean, I left him during the middle of a high school dance and he wasn't even mad about it. And besides, he seems interested in me and it's about time I get over this little crush or whatever it is that I have on Edward. So I smiled at him and nodded. "Sure, Mike. That sounds like it will be fun."

He looked up at me and grinned again. "Really?" He asked me, the hope clearly evident in his voice.

I smiled and nodded again. Anyone who gets this excited about me saying yes to him deserves a chance with me. "Really." Then he wrapped his arms around me, pulling me in for a hug. A laugh escaped my lips at his excitement.

I don't know why I felt this way—I really shouldn't feel this way. I didn't even like him like _that_. But his happiness was contagious. Well, to everyone but Edward. I looked over at him and he was staring down at the ground, picking at something with his shoe. He looked really unhappy.

Mike finally let me go and quickly told me that he wouldn't be able to walk me to class today because his class was meeting in the library. I smiled and told him that it wasn't a big deal. He smiled and said that he would see me at lunch. And then he turned and walked down the hall with a huge smile on his face.

"Well, I guess I'll see you later, Bella," Edward said quietly. I looked over to find him still starting at the ground.

"Edward…are you sure you're okay?" I asked him gently. I knew I was bordering on pressuring him because I had already asked him, but I didn't care.

He just nodded. "Yeah, I'm fine. I have to get going to class." He said and looked up at me, meeting my eyes for a brief second before he started off to class. I stood there for a minute, completely astounded by what I saw in his eyes.

His beautiful, green eyes were clouded with hurt and devastation. I felt as though his devastation pierced me, straight through my heart. I couldn't understand what would make him feel that way. Maybe he really did want to talk to me about something and didn't get the chance because of Mike. Maybe he thought that I chose Mike over him and that I didn't want to listen to him. But I could already feel myself hoping that the real reason was because he liked me too.

No. I can't think like that. Edward Masen does not like you.

I hated to crush out that little bit of hope sprouting within me, but I had to. It was for my own good. If I allowed myself to start to hope and think that Edward likes me, then it would make it that much more difficult to get over this…thing I had for him.

I didn't want to get over it though. I really wanted to allow myself to hope that he likes me the same way I like him.

I jumped when I heard the bell ring. I also noticed that I was the only one left in the hallways and now I was going to be completely late for class. I started running to class, hoping that the teacher wouldn't be too upset with me. But even if he was, I don't think it would have fazed me. Because now, on top of every other reason I have to think about Edward Masen, I have another one. I knew that this was going to be a long day with my thoughts constantly on Edward. Despite everything, I smiled to myself because, truth be told, I didn't mind one bit that my mind was going to be on Edward for the rest of the day.

* * *

**Edward's POV**

Fuck my life.

Bella is going to the club with Mike. Bella is going out with Mike. _Mike_. Mike is going to get to dance with her. He's going to be able to hold her. He's going to be able to…kiss her.

No, I cannot think about that. I shouldn't be jealous that Bella is doing something that makes her happy. She looked so happy when Mike asked her to go with him. How could I be so selfish and upset and jealous that she chose to do something that made her happy?

I knew it was going to happen the moment I saw Mike walking up to Bella. Mike and his big, stupid, wide ass grin on his face. I could feel my anger and resentment for him the minute he walked up to her.

Mike had been talking to us about asking Bella out for the past week. I had hoped and prayed with everything in me that he wouldn't. I didn't want her to be taken away from me. I know that as soon as she finds someone better than me, he'll take her away and she'll never want to see me or talk to me again.

God, I wish I could be the guy who could ask her out. I could—but I knew there would be hell to pay if I ever did anything like that. Not only from Elizabeth, but from Jessica and her little entourage.

That's why I'm so hesitant to talk to her about anything. I know that if I talk to her and trust her, I wouldn't be able to let it go if she left me. I know it's dumb and stupid, but I have a really hard time trusting people.

The only person I've ever trusted in my life was my friend Seth. He was the first friend I made here in freshman year. We were both on the football team and he was really nice. I opened up to him one day after he told me about how his parents were fighting because his father caught his mother with another man. I felt that it was only fair to tell him that Elizabeth wasn't my mother and how she took me away from my parents. He was shocked and told me that he would do everything he could to help get me away from her. I trusted him with my secret.

And then he moved away that summer. Leaving me to face my demons…alone.

I know it sounds weird that I trusted a guy so much and that I was so crushed when he left…but he promised that he would help me and then he just left and forgot about me. He didn't really care and probably said those things to be nice to me. But, ever since he left, I've never told anyone anything else.

That's why it's so hard to open up to Bella. I'm terrified that once I let her in that much, that she'll leave me. I don't think I could handle that from Bella. Why can't I just ask her out? Why am I so afraid of nothing?

I slammed my steering wheel with my hand. I pulled over into a parking lot and sat there for a minute, trying to regain my composure. I couldn't go home like this—Elizabeth would be brutal if she saw me like this.

I took a few deep calming breaths and closed my eyes, trying to relax myself.

All I saw was Mike, fucking Mike Newton kissing _my _Bella.

I snapped my eyes open, not wanting to see the picture anymore. I keep telling myself that it never happened, but it's all I can picture. It's driving me crazy. I don't want to think of them anymore. I just want to be with Bella.

Wait, I just want to be with Bella. I want to be with Bella so badly it makes my heart ache. I want to be the one to hold her and hug her and talk to her and dance with her and kiss her. I want to be able to _love _her.

I sighed and looked around, feeling that hopeless feeling drowning me again. That hopeless feeling of knowing that she will never be mine and that there's nothing I can do to change that.

Wait, who says there's nothing I can do about it? Why should I give a fuck what other people think? If I like her and want to be with her…shouldn't I take a chance?

I've never felt this way about anyone else before. It's like she can look straight into my soul and know exactly what I'm thinking. She knew something was wrong this morning in the hallway. And I could sense that she was worried about me last night when she left. She wouldn't do any of those things unless she cared about me…right?

I had to do something. I had to try and show her that she means something to me. Well, so much more than something—she means everything to me. I finally realized that the only person standing in the way of that…was me.

I was the person who was denying me my own chance at happiness. Whatever anyone else does to me wouldn't matter if I had Bella. I would take endless beatings if I could be able to hold her afterword. Nothing else would affect me if I had Bella.

But what if I hurt her?

I couldn't live with myself if I did that. But there was a very good chance that she would get hurt because of someone in my life. Whether it be Elizabeth, Jessica, Tanya, or Lauren…someone would most likely hurt her in some way.

But she had stood up for herself…right? That day in the mall, she clearly told Jessica exactly what she was thinking and she didn't hold back. My girl would be able to stand up for herself. And she would have me with her to back her up.

But I didn't want to put her through that. She shouldn't have to live a life where people are bitchy to her just because she's going out with me. That's not fair to her.

I groaned and laid my head on the steering wheel. I was getting more and more confused the more I thought about Bella.

I know that I like her and care about her a lot. I also know that I could trust her and turn to her and she would be there for me. But the fact that she could get hurt because of me and what I have to be—am I willing to risk that?

I'm not so sure I am. I want her to be happy and not have to constantly deal with bitchy people like Jessica or Tanya her whole life.

I have no idea what to fucking do! Do I tell her I like her or do I not tell her? Do I talk to her about Elizabeth…maybe. I just don't know what to do.

I sighed, pulling back out onto the road. I needed to start getting back to the house I live in. As I drove I realized the only thing that I really can do at this point: go to the club with them tomorrow night. It's dumb, but maybe if I saw that she was happy with Mike and Jessica, Tanya, and Lauren were leaving her alone, I might be able to let it go and just be happy for her.

It was the only thing I can do and it's killing me inside to think about it that way. I want her to be happy…but I only want her to be happy with me. No, I will be happy for her as long as she is happy. I will be a good friend to her like she is to me. I can do this. I hope.

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A/N: So...what do you think? Please review and let me know what you think about their situation! Oh and next chapter is going to be about the club...what could possibly happen there! Any suggestions or things you want to see...let me know! Also things that you don't like let me know too! Constructive criticism makes me a better writer! :)

THANKS TO ALL MY REVIEWERS!! Your reviews mean so much to me and they help me to keep going! Please...continue to reveiw. They make me so happy and make me work harder to get updates out to you guys faster! :)

Also, if you guys ever have ideas for a story or something you'd like to see/read, let me know and I can take a shot at it! I'm always open to new ideas!! :) Thanks! 3


	12. Chapter 12

Hey everyone! I think you all will be fairly happy with this chapter! Sorry it took me a little longer than expected—I couldn't get it just right, but I think I finally did! I really hope that you guys like it as much as I do! Please review!

Also, I'd like to give out a few shout outs to my reviewers! Thank you so much for your support! Your reviews help me to continue on! I love them so much! And I love all your ideas and suggestions! I can tell you that some of you have guessed what I'm planning on doing, but I can't tell you here, otherwise there would be no point to reading my story anymore and that would be sad!

DISCLAIMER: I don't own Twilight—I feel like that should be understood, but oh well!

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**Bella's POV**

I sat on the toilet seat in my bathroom, letting Rose and Alice make me over. They were completely excited about my almost date with Mike. I hadn't had a real boyfriend before—not that I didn't have offers; I just wasn't really into that whole deal. Besides, they think Mike is a really sweet guy.

Yeah, Mike's not too bad. He's not a total creeper and doesn't stalk me. But he called me last night to talk. And he sat with me at lunch today. And he kissed my cheek after walking me to classes. I was starting to get slightly worried about the idea that Mike possibly thought that something…_more_ was happening between us. I really didn't want that. Like I said, Mike was an okay guy, but I didn't want to be more than friends with him.

"Bella…do you think Mike's going to kiss you tonight?" Alice asked me with a smirk. I know Alice was excited because she thought I was excited. However, I couldn't hide the grimace on my face when she made that comment.

Rose started laughing. "Alice, I don't think Bella is particularly looking forward to that thing happening. To be honest…I don't think I would be either," She admitted.

I looked at her, shocked. "Rose, I thought you were excited for my date with Mike…"

She smiled. "I'm excited that you're going out, but is Mike really the one you want to kiss?" She looked at me with a knowing smile. I was wondering what she was talking about, so I cocked an eyebrow at her. Rose just smirked. "Edward…"

I groaned. "Rose, it's not going to happen."

She just smirked and then Alice laughed. "Bella," Alice started. "Is Edward coming to the club with you and Mike tonight?"

I nodded, but didn't say anything. I didn't know what to say. Well, I did. I was excited that Edward was coming tonight, but at the same time, I wasn't. I knew that he would ignore me like usual and probably dance and be all over Jessica, Lauren, and Tanya. I didn't know what he even saw in them. I mean I know they were "friends" but they were…bitches. They were always all over him and constantly flirting with him and trying to get his attention. And that made me a little…upset. I mean, he told me that he didn't like them but he still talked to them.

So I knew what I wanted to say, but it's not like I was going to tell Alice and Rose any of this—it would only add fuel to the fire. Meaning, the crazy idea that those two had about Edward and I going out. They really need to let it go.

"Alright, Bella. We're done!" Rose exclaimed. I looked up at both of them. Rose had a huge smile plastered on her face. Alice was smiling and bouncing up and down like a little girl on Christmas morning. I will never understand how she gets so excited over giving someone else a make-over.

"Bella…you have to look in the mirror and tell us what you think!" Alice said, practically shoving me toward the mirror.

I stared at my reflection. I was wearing a dark blue short-sleeve shirt. It was a v-neck and didn't have any design on it. I was also wearing white capris—Alice wanted me to wear a skirt, but Rose and I convinced her that it would not be a good idea with my clumsiness. Alice finally agreed and put me in white capris. I can't say how much better that would be, but it looked really good together. I was wearing dark blue flats that matched my shirt. I was wearing a white necklace and a thin white headband. My hair was curled loosely, held back by the headband. They didn't go overboard with the make-up; they left me looking more natural than Alice would have liked. Rose, once again, came to my rescue—I really owed her after tonight.

I looked good—really good. Alice seemed to notice my excitement because she jumped into my arms and hugged me tightly. "Bella…don't you love it?!" She squeaked.

I laughed and let her go. "Yes, Alice. I do love it! I think everything looks really good!" I went to Rose and hugged her, whispering in her ear so Alice wouldn't overhear me, "Thanks for fighting for me!"

Rose just laughed and let me go. "You're welcome Bella. I'm glad you like it! It's important that you feel sexy in order to look sexy!"

I blushed, not really wanting to feel sexy around Mike. "Yeah…okay Rose. I'll keep that in mind."

I heard my phone going off and went to answer it. It was Mike, telling me that he would be here in about ten minutes. I hung up the phone and turned around. Alice bombarded me with hairspray one more time and Rose started spraying me with some perfume. Once they were done, Rose and Alice gave me one final look-over in order to double check that everything was in the proper place and that I looked alright.

They stopped when we all heard the doorbell ring. Alice and Rose immediately ushered me down the stairs. I started going to open the door while Rose and Alice went to "hide" in the kitchen. They didn't want Mike to know they were here, but they wanted to be here when Mike got here. So they were going to stay until after I left and then they were going to leave. It wouldn't matter if they left or not because my mom was with Phil once again. Something she's been doing a lot more frequently lately.

I heard them giggling while I went to answer the door. I opened it to see Mike smiling widely. He was wearing regular blue jeans with a black t-shirt. He looked pretty good—definitely not hot, but pretty good. I smiled back at him. "Hi, Mike."

"Hey, Bella. Are you ready to go?" He asked me.

I nodded, "Yeah." I shut my door and followed him into his car. I got into the passenger seat while he got into the driver seat. "Mike, where are we going again?" I asked him after a few minutes of silence.

He smiled. "It's this new club. It's for young adults over sixteen. It's a place where teens can go and hang out. It's supposed to be really cool! It's called Twilight," he told me. I could tell he was really excited, so I was going to try and be excited for him.

After a few more moments of silence, I asked another question. "So, who's all going to be there?" I knew a few people who were going, but not very many.

Mike sighed. "Well, you and me, obviously. Then there's Eric, Tyler, Lauren, Tanya, Jessica, and Edward. I think that's it."

I smiled. "Okay." I was not looking forward to seeing Tanya, Lauren, and Jessica, but I was determined to have a fun night—at least for Mike's sake.

We finished the rest of the drive to the club in silence. Unlike when I was with Edward, this silence was slightly uncomfortable. I felt like I should be talking to Mike, but I couldn't think of anything to talk to him about. He parked his car in the parking structure across the street from the club. We walked to the club doors, which asked for out IDs; they needed to make sure no one under the age of sixteen was there.

We walked in and were immediately blasted with sound. The music was blaring and people were shouting. The club had soft white lights on the edge of the wall. They were on low and gave a weird, almost evening type of feel. I guess it was supposed to feel like twilight, because of the name.

"MIKE! BELLA! OVER HERE!" I heard someone shout. I was surprised I could hear someone. But when I turned around, I saw Tyler was standing right behind us. He began walking back toward his friends. Tyler was also wearing jeans and a t-shirt. His t-shirt was a dark brown. It reminded me of the color of my hair. It looked really good on him.

He led us over to the group, which contained Eric, Tanya, Lauren, and Jessica. Eric looked identical to Tyler and Mike except his shirt was red with a weird black design. I couldn't quite make it out. Tanya, Lauren, and Jessica all looked identical—did I miss a memo or something? They were all wearing an extremely short, skin-tight dress that had cap sleeves and a low v-neck. Tanya was wearing a vibrant red, Lauren was wearing a bright green one, and Jessica was wearing a hot pink dress. None of the girls looked good at all—which gave me a boost of confidence.

I felt Mike put her arm around my shoulders as I watched the girls stare behind me. Whatever it was made their eyes go wide and their mouths smile really wide. I turned my head to see what they were staring at. I literally felt my heart skip a beat when I saw…_him_. Edward. He was wearing blue jeans too, but they were lighter than all the other guys. He was wearing a white button down shirt that had light blue, green, and tan stripes on it. He had the sleeves rolled up to his elbows. He looked really good. No, he looked hot.

I was slightly shocked by my thought. I shouldn't be thinking that way about my friend. I blushed and looked down at my feet, willing my blush to go away. When I felt my cheeks cool down, I looked up and saw Edward staring at me with an expression that I couldn't name. When he saw me look up at him, he smiled that crooked smile at me. I smiled back at him, but I felt Mike tighten his arm around my shoulders, almost like a warning. I saw Edward's smile disappear and his eyes harden. Before anything could happen, the three girls ran over to Edward and started cooing over him. I rolled my eyes and turned away.

"Bella, do you want to go and dance?" Mike asked me. I nodded and let him take my hand and lead me onto the dance floor. Once we got there, Mike turned me around, facing away from him. He placed his hands on my hips as he started grinding up against me in time to the music. I place my hands over his, not wanting to place them anywhere else. It felt slightly awkward, but I thought of what Rose had told me before I left. She told me that if it felt awkward while dancing with him, I was supposed to just pretend he wasn't there and sway my hips the way I wanted to. That way I would be dancing like I wanted to and I could pretend that he wasn't there. It was slightly mean to your date, but I didn't care. I felt awkward, so, I tried that.

For the most part, it worked. I stopped thinking about how awkward it was and started focusing on the music. It was pretty good. I liked almost every song that was played. Mike stopped trying to lead and just fell into step with me.

After a few songs, Mike leaned down to whisper in my ear. "Do you want something to drink?" I just nodded because I didn't think he would be able to hear me. He took my hand again and led me to the bar. I noticed that the rest of his group was standing by the bar. "Bella, what would you like to drink?" Mike asked me. I shook my head and began taking out my money. Mike had already paid for me to get in here and I didn't want him to pay for my drink also. Mike just smiled and placed his hand over mine. "Bella, I'm going to pay for you. I want to pay for you. After all, you are my date," he said with a smile. "So, what would you like?"

I was a little taken aback by the date comment. I figured we had just gone as friends, but I guess he didn't think that. I shrugged. "I think I'll just have water for right now—I'm not that thirsty and don't want to have to waste anything. Is that okay?" I didn't want him to think that I was trying to avoid having him pay for me. He just smiled and nodded.

I looked around and saw that Tyler was looking at me, more like gawking. "Have you guys danced at all yet?" I shouted to them. That was my lame attempt to try and talk to these people that I have never really talked to before. Tanya, Lauren, and Jessica just sneered at me—what the hell did I do to piss them off?—and turned their attention back to Edward and Eric. Edward was looking at Tyler, with the same look he gave Mike earlier.

Tyler was the only one to answer me. "No, we've just been hanging back here." He shrugged at me. Mike came back to me and handed me my cup of water. I took a drink as I noticed Tyler lean toward Mike and tell him something. Mike glanced back at me and then turned back to Tyler. I saw him nod and knew what was going to happen before Tyler said anything. "Bella…would you like to dance with me?" He asked me.

I nodded. "Sure, Tyler. Mike, can you hold my water for me?" He nodded to me and took my water. Tyler took my hand and led me to the dance floor. I turned to give Mike a smile, but I noticed Edward staring after me. Our eyes locked for a moment, his burning with some type of emotion I couldn't name, but then he looked away. I quickly smiled for Mike and turned back to Tyler. Once again, I was grinding with a guy. It was still awkward. Tyler didn't grip me as tightly as Mike did, so it was easier to relax and have fun with Tyler.

After a few songs, Mike was back and cut in. Tyler went back to the bar. Mike and I were dancing once again. Instead of focusing on dancing with Mike, I was watching the people at the bar. Tyler had grabbed Lauren and was now walking with her to the dance floor. Eric was walking with Jessica to the dance floor. Tanya was pulling Edward, literally, toward the dance floor. He was grimacing and I couldn't help but laugh. He looked so cute, and I couldn't help but be happy that he didn't want to dance with Tanya. Tyler and Lauren were dancing by Mike and I already as the other four walked up to us. Edward looked over at me and his face brightened as he smiled at me. I smiled back at him, but then Mike wrapped his arms around my waist, pulling me extremely close to him.

We continued dancing like that for a few minutes before Eric came over to us and tapped me on the shoulder, asking me to dance with him. I nodded and began grinding with Eric. I kind of felt like…a toy. How all the boys wanted a turn with me. God, that makes me sound like a whore. Mike danced with Jessica while I danced with Eric, but he never took his eyes off Eric and me. I chanced a glance at Edward and saw that he was looking at us too. He looked torn about something. I wanted to go over to him and make sure he knew that I was there for him, but this was neither the time nor the place for that.

After a two songs, Mike came back to me. He wrapped his arms around me waist again, making me awfully close to him. He even leaned his head on my shoulder. I could feel his breath on my neck. It was an uncomfortable position, but I tried not to think about it. I looked at Tyler and Lauren who were still dancing. They seemed to be having a good time. Eric and Jessica were now making out while trying to remain dancing. I looked over at Edward and Tanya. I saw that Tanya kept trying to kiss him or pull herself closer to him, but he wasn't having any of that. He would turn his head when she tried to kiss him and would not hold her tightly enough for her to remain that close to him.

I turned away from Edward and turned in Mike's arms. I wanted to talk to him, and it felt awkward trying to talk to him while facing away from him. "Are you having a good night, Mike?" I asked him.

Mike nodded and smiled. "Yeah, I'm having an awesome time. This club is so cool! Are you having a good time?"

I nodded. "Yeah, I am having a really good time. This place is amazing! I'm really glad I came tonight." I smiled at him.

I felt a hand on my back as I heard Edward shout to Mike. "Can I steal Bella for a dance, Mike?"

Mike sighed and nodded. "Sure, I guess, Edward." He said, curtly.

Mike let me go and I felt Edward turn me to face him. I couldn't stop the smile that spread over my face. Edward smiled back at me and leaned towards my ear. "Is it okay if we dance? I don't want to make you uncomfortable or anything."

I smiled and leaned toward his ear. "I would never feel uncomfortable around you. Thanks for wanting to dance with me." I heard him laugh as I turned around to start to grind with Edward. But I couldn't call it grinding, it felt like something more than that. He placed his hands on my hips, but it didn't feel awkward. He swayed his hips with mine and pressed against me in a way that wasn't too close—not that I would have minded it. This was the first dance all night that wasn't awkward.

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**Edward's POV**

I can't believe I'm dancing with Bella. It feels so…right. It was killing me to have to watch her dance with the other guys. The way they held her so close, especially Mike. And the way they all looked at her. It made my blood boil because I was so jealous of them.

Yes, I was jealous. I've come to the realization that I like Bella. Although, I'm starting to think that like isn't a strong enough word for what I feel for her. I'm not sure if it's love because I've never felt that before, with anyone. I always want to be with her and talk to her. And I feel very…protective of her.

I wasn't looking forward to tonight. I figured it was going to be awkward with Jessica, Tanya, and Lauren all over me. And it was going to be extremely hard to watch Bella with Mike all night.

But then I saw her. Bella looked so amazing. I couldn't believe how beautiful she looked. Well, I could because she always looks beautiful, but I just figured she would wear something closer to what Jessica and her cronies were wearing. I'm so happy that she didn't.

I don't want this time to end. I want to stay with Bella forever. I lightly wrapped my arms around her waist, trying to gently bring her closer to me. I felt her lean her head against my chest, so I tightened my arms around her. I felt her relax against me and her hands gripped the sides of my jeans. I wanted to think that she wanted me closer, but I knew she just didn't have anywhere else to put her hands.

I sighed and leaned my head closer to hers, breathing in her scent. I closed my eyes, just trying to enjoy the moment.

All of a sudden, I felt her tighten and scream. I looked down at her and saw her shirt was soaking wet. I looked up and saw that Tanya had an empty glass in her hand. She glared at Bella and said something about how it was an accident. I didn't believe her for a second. I let go of Bella and started to go toward Tanya. I wasn't sure what I was going to do, but I wasn't just going to let Bella be insulted that way. Before I could get very far, I felt Bella grab my arm. I turned to face her, to see if she was alright. "Are you alright? Is there anything I can do?"

She smiled and nodded. "Yeah, I'm fine. I'm _sure _it was an accident," She shouted this and glared at Tanya who just smiled sweetly—at least that was what she was trying to do. Bella turned back to me. "Do you think you could try and see if you or the other guys have a shirt I could borrow? Maybe one of you has something in your car?" She asked me.

I smiled and nodded at her. "Yeah, we'll go and check." I leaned toward her and whispered in her ear; I didn't want anyone to hear. "Are you going to be alright by yourself? I could stay with you…" I felt her shook her head and sighed. I kissed her cheek really quickly, trying to show her that I was there for her.

With that I turned to the guys and told them what Bella needed. Of course, they were all more than willing to help Bella out. I tried not to let that get to me as we left to go to our cars to look for something for Bella. I turned to catch one last glimpse of Bella and I saw her making her way to the bathroom.

The three of them went to their cars, but they all knew they didn't have anything. I knew I had clothes in my car. I always kept a bag of clothes and necessities in my car—ever since homecoming. I wanted to be prepared. And it was also nice to know that I could just not go back to Elizabeth's for a night or two if I wanted to.

I unlocked my car door and grabbed the bag from my back seat. I quickly riffled through the contents and pulled out a white wife beater and a t-shirt. I want her to have options, limited as they were. I threw the bag back into my car, locked and shut the door. I ran back to the club doors, not wanting to leave Bella alone for long. I wasn't sure what those girls would do to her.

I got to the doors and showed the guy at the door my hand—I had gotten it stamped before I left so I could get back in the club without paying again. I quickly found my way to the bathroom and called Bella's phone. She didn't answer but she came out to grab the shirts, mumble a thanks, and then walked back into the bathroom.

I wanted to ask her if she was okay. I wanted to give her a hug. I wanted…to take her away from here. I wanted to bundle her up and carry her out of here. I wanted to hold onto her and never let her go. I wanted to show her how much she means to me. She doesn't deserve to be treated this way by people.

I heard the door open and Jessica, Tanya, and Lauren walked out. They came toward me with smiles on their faces, but they weren't acting the same. They weren't acting like they owned me. I glared at them and they started to walk away. At that moment, Bella came out, wearing my t-shirt. She just looked at the other girls, smiled at them. It wasn't a sweet smile, it was a warning smile. They stared at her before walking away from her. I stared after them with a confused look on my face. What happened? I looked back at Bella, but she just smiled sweetly at me.

She came over to me and asked, "Can you take me home? Would you mind?" I just shook my head at her. Of, course I didn't mind. She smiled and took my hand in her free one. She led me out of the club and out the doors. We ran into Mike and the other guys.

Mike came right up to Bella, staring at our interlaced hands. "Bella…do you want me to take you home? I don't mind." He said that almost forcefully.

Bella just smiled sweetly at him and shook her head. "Mike you've done so much for me already. I want you to stay and enjoy your night." She inclined her head towards me and continued. "Edward has to leave now, his mother called; that's the only reason he's taking me."

I was shocked that Bella was able to lie so quickly. I'll have to ask her why she was so against having Mike take her home.

Mike just looked down. "Okay, thanks Bella. That's really nice of you." He sighed and looked back up at Bella. "I'll see you in school though, right?"

Bella nodded at him. "Yeah, I'll see you on Monday. We really have to go though; Edward's mom is waiting." The guys just nodded and walked back into the club.

I just smiled at Bella and began leading her toward my car. "So…that was interesting."

Bella shrugged at me. "Sorry if you're upset, I just didn't want to go with Mike. You don't mind right?" She looked up at me with a hopeful expression that almost broke my heart. She looked so afraid that I was going to say no.

I laughed as I unlocked my car and opened her door for her. "Of course I don't mind. I understand what you mean." I shut her door after she got in and walked to my door. I opened my door and slid into my seat. I started the car and began driving back toward Bella's house. "Can I ask why you didn't want Mike to take you home?"

She shrugged but looked down, her cheeks turning slightly pink. "Well…um…I don't have a real reason, I guess. Tonight…I just got a weird vibe from Mike. Almost like he was…possessive of me or something. I don't know…I just needed a break." She sighed. "Besides, I always feel comfortable around you."

I looked at her for a minute, before turning my head and focusing back on the road. I couldn't believe she said that. It was something that I had wanted to hear for a while now. "Um…Bella…what happened back at the club…after the guys all left? Did they do anything to you?" I could feel my blood begin to boil at the thought of those horrible girls doing anything to my Bella.

But to my surprise, Bella just laughed. "Well, they wanted to. But I beat them to it. I told them what they didn't expect to hear from me and that actually freaked them out. Funny, isn't it?"

I laughed too but shook my head. "What did you say though?" I was really curious as to how she got them to back off. I should probably take a lesson from Bella on that.

She shrugged. "It was nothing. Don't worry about it." She smiled and I knew that she wasn't going to tell me. It made me even more curious because she wouldn't tell me what she was thinking! I really wanted to know.

We drove the rest of the way to her house in our comfortable silence. When I pulled up, I paused for a moment and looked over at Bella. "Um…would you mind if I came in for a moment?"

"Sure," she said with a lot of enthusiasm. She walked to her front door and unlocked it. She locked it again when I came in. "My mom and Phil are gone again. It's spring training and he sort of plays for a team in Arizona, so he stays out there and my mom goes to visit him every weekend she's able to." She shrugged, but I could tell that she was hiding, or trying to hide her true feelings.

I was going to ask her a question about it, but then she looked up at me. Her beautiful brown eyes staring right into my soul. I couldn't think of anything except for the fact that I wanted—needed to be closer to her. I walked to her and placed one of my hands on her cheek. I began rubbing it softly, watching as her eyes fluttered closed. I smiled to myself as I felt her cheeks warm slightly. She opened her eyes and moved closer to me, placing her hands on my chest. She gazed deeply into my eyes as I gazed right back into hers. I saw so many emotions passing through her eyes that I couldn't even name them all. I placed my other hand on her other cheek and slowly brought her face closer to mine. I closed my eyes an instant before our lips touched.

I gently, softly brushed my lips against hers, but it was the most passionate kiss I've ever experienced. I felt the love, yes love, I had for her pour out of me into our kiss. I also felt her love for me pulsing through me as our lips were connected.

Her hands fisted into my shirt, pulling me closer. I happily obliged as I started to gently suck on her bottom lip. Her arms found their way around my waist, closing any distance between us. I felt her tongue trace my lips, asking for entrance. I opened my mouth wider, allowing our tongues to taste each other.

One of my hands made its way into her hair, grabbing gently on it, trying to bring her face closer to mine. I wanted to feel all of her, taste all of her, and be the man for all of her.

We broke away from each other, resting our foreheads against each other. Both of us were slightly out of breath. I felt so much electricity in that kiss, it was almost frightening. I've never experienced something like that before. I have a feeling that that's what you feel when you meet your soul mate. I knew that I didn't want anyone else besides Bella for the rest of time. I would always want her and only ever want her. And judging by our kiss, I think she feels the same way too.

I pulled away from her as her arms let go of my waist. She was smiling at me, dreamily, and I couldn't help but smile back. I knew, at that moment, that I had to tell her how I feel. I might not get another chance like this.

I took a deep breath. Bella wouldn't laugh at me or anything. "Bella…there's something I want to talk to you about—"

I was cut off by my phone vibrating and I quickly got it out. I checked the caller ID and groaned when I saw it was Elizabeth. I opened it. "Hello?"

"Edward, where are you? You said that you would be home by eleven at the latest and it's almost 11:30. You better get home right now or so help me I will—"

"Okay, I'll be there in ten minutes," I told Elizabeth, not wanting her to finish that thought. She grunted and hung up the phone. I winced as I slid my phone back into my pocket. What amazing timing Elizabeth has.

I looked back at Bella with her hopeful and expectant gaze. I shook my head slowly and looked down. "I'm really sorry, but I have to get home. My…my mom is waiting for me," I told her quietly.

Bella came forward and gave me a hug, which I gladly returned. It felt so right and comforting, having her arms tightly wound around my neck and my arms wrapped around her waist, bringing us close together. I never wanted to let her go. She leaned up and kissed my cheek. "It's okay, Edward. I understand how mothers can be," she said with a smile. But she didn't understand how Elizabeth could be. "We can talk tomorrow, or whenever you want," she told me.

I smiled at her. "Thanks, Bella. You're amazing, did you know that?" I felt my cheeks flush slightly because I said that out loud, but Bella full out blushed and I just chuckled. I leaned in and gave her a small kiss, which she returned.

Unfortunately, I had to pull away because I really had to get going. She sighed and let go of me, walking me to her door. I turned to face her before I left. "You can call me if you need anything. I don't like the idea of you being here all by yourself…" I trailed off. As soon as I walked in and she told me her mother wasn't home, I was going to stay with her. But stupid Elizabeth had to ruin everything.

"Thanks, Edward. That's very sweet of you. You would definitely be the first person I would call," she told me. She looked down, her cheeks flaring up again. "Before you go I wanted to tell you something…I thought you looked really nice today—I'm sure Tanya and them have already told you, but I just wanted to let you know."

I placed a finger under her chin, forcing her to lift her gaze to mine. "I couldn't care less what they say; all I care about is what you say and think." I smiled at her. "I think you looked extremely beautiful."

She sighed and smiled. "I suppose you should get going," she said sadly.

I nodded. "Yeah, but promise me you'll call me if you need anything…okay?"

She smiled. "I promise. Goodnight Edward."

I leaned in and gave her one last kiss, memorizing how amazing her soft lips felt against mine. I wanted to remember this moment forever. "Goodnight Bella. Sweet dreams."

I turned to go to my car as I heard her laugh. Once I got in my car, she shut her door and I began driving home. The whole way home I couldn't stop thinking about Bella. Not only did I get to dance with Bella tonight, but I got to…to _kiss_ her. This was the best night I've had in a long time—possibly only coming in second to the first night I've ever spent with Bella.

I knew that I was going to tell her how I feel tomorrow. I wasn't going to chicken out. I was going to do it. I had to do it; I had to know what could possibly happen.

That was my last thought before I got out of my car and walked into the house. I closed my eyes as I opened the door, willing Elizabeth not to do anything. But even if she did, I had Bella now, and that changes everything.

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A/N: Please review and tell me what you think? I really hope you like it that they kissed and everything! Next chapter will be Edward telling Bella his feelings—don't worry, things won't go as planned…hehehe!

So please review—they keep me going and I'll get the next chapter out quicker with motivation! Thanks again to all my reviewers! You guys are amazing! 3


	13. Chapter 13

Hey everyone! Sorry that this chapter's a little shorter than the others. It also doesn't have Edward's POV, but the next chapter will. I wanted to give you guys something until I perfect the next chapter!! Enjoy! Please review!!

Also, there's a rather long a/n at the bottom that I'd really appreciate you reading and responding too! Thanks!

Do I really need to say AGAIN that I don't own Twilight? I've said it thirteen times already! :)

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**Bella's POV**

I ran down the stairs and out to my car. I was running late for school because I overslept a little bit. I had taken a quick shower, blow dried my hair, and quickly changed into an outfit that Alice had picked out for me yesterday. I didn't have time for make-up, so Alice would just have to be disappointed.

As I started driving to school, I thought back over my weekend. It went by in a blur; the only thing I can remember clearly, in every detail, was the kiss Edward and I shared. I felt a smile tugging at my lips as I thought about it. He was so gentle and sweet and his lips were so warm against mine. I've never had a kiss like that—I swear I felt the butterflies going crazy in my stomach and my heart was leaping in my chest. It was…amazing.

I sighed. The rest of my weekend was pretty boring. Since my mom and Phil were still gone, so I was home alone. I spent Saturday morning cleaning up around the house and doing my laundry. I also went grocery shopping and to the library to get some books for an English paper I had to work on. Then I came home and worked on homework for a while. Overall, it was a productive day.

Now Sunday, that was a long day. Alice and Rose came over to keep me company since I was home alone. We ended up going over everything that had happened on Friday. They were really upset with me that I didn't immediately call them up and tell them what happened between me and Edward. I told them that I'm not even sure if it means anything so I was trying to figure it out over the weekend.

That wasn't exactly true. The real reason I didn't call them up right away was because I didn't want them to think it was more than it was. I know Edward, he doesn't date people. I've gone to high school with him for over two years—we were both juniors together. I've seen him with a few girls at the few parties I went to because of Emmett or at other school functions, but he's never had a real girlfriend. So, as much as I hated to admit it, the kiss was nothing more than a kiss. At least that's what I was trying to force myself to believe before I talked to Alice and Rose.

They were horrified by what Tanya did to me at the club. I told them what I encountered in the bathroom and then Edward taking me home. I even told them how awkward it was dancing with the other guys, but how I was so comfortable with Edward. They started going on about how I was in love with Edward. The two of them started analyzing every interaction Edward and I have ever had. They didn't leave me much choice to interject with my thoughts, but I don't think I would have either way. I was having much more fun listening to their proof that Edward likes me too. I actually even started to believe it, a little.

I'm not saying that Edward truly did like me, but the possibly…didn't seem so impossible anymore. The more they talked through everything, the more I started to believe them. Whenever Edward would smile around me, the smile would reach his eyes. And the sadness and pain that's always there, seems to disappear when he starts talking to me.

God Bella, I mentally slapped myself as I pulled into my school parking lot. I had to stop thinking so much about him. It was really unhealthy. Oh God, was I turning into a Jessica Stanley wannabe?

No. No, I wasn't. I was just…thinking about what Alice, Rose, and I talked about.

I jumped out of my car and slammed the door. I glanced at my cell phone, checking the time, before sliding it back into my pocket. Surprisingly, I still had five minutes to make it to first hour. I ran to my locker and threw my books into my bag. As soon as that was done, I began walking, very quickly, to my first hour classroom.

I slipped into the classroom right as the bell was ringing. I walked to my desk and sat down. Mr. Smithe was already beginning the lecture, so I tried to get my things out quietly as to not disturb anyone or Mr. Smithe. I was starting to take notes when I noticed a note on my desk. I looked up at Edward, since that's the direction the note came from. He was looking ahead with a smirk on his face, but he was watching my out of the corner of his eyes. I hesitantly reached for the note.

I wasn't sure if I wanted to read it or not; I was worried about what he might say. I knew that I was probably reading too much into the kiss, but I wasn't ready to admit that that was all it was. I felt something in that kiss—something I've never felt before. I wasn't ready to give that up. I've never had a relationship, a real relationship before, but I am sure that what I felt in that kiss was something most people never experience. Alice and Rose said that they had only ever felt that when they kiss Jasper and Emmett.

God, Bella, you're thinking way too much into this. I sighed and shook my head at myself. I have become one of _those_ girls who overanalyze everything. I chuckled softly to myself as I opened the note, mentally preparing myself for what might be ahead. I opened the note after glancing at Mr. Smithe to make sure he wasn't looking.

_Bella-  
What happened to you this morning? Are you okay?  
-Edward_

I felt a smile forming on my lips as I wrote my response.

_I overslept! But other than that, everything's fine. Where you looking for me?  
~Bella_

I passed the note back to Edward. I tried copying the notes on the board, but my eyes kept glancing toward Edward. I couldn't help it; I wanted to see his reaction. Had he really been looking for me? Probably not. He probably just noticed that I showed up late to first hour. But what if he was—did he want to talk to me?

I saw Edward's hand on the side of my desk for a split second, sliding the note back onto my desk. I picked it up and read it.

_Well, I'm glad everything's okay. But, yeah, I was sort of looking for you. I just wanted to talk to you about…what happened on Friday._

I took a small, quick intake of breath. I was involuntarily panicking slightly. I just hope that Edward didn't notice, but I didn't want to look at him to see. I don't know why I panicked slightly—I had no reason to. It was just a kiss. I know that and he knows that. There's nothing to get worked up over. He probably just wants to clarify that. I decided that I should write something back.

_Oh, sorry. We could talk at lunch if you want…or can._

I handed it back to him, satisfied with myself. I was going to face whatever it is that he wants to talk to me about. It can't be that bad; I mean, I sort of think I know what it's going to be about anyways. Edward passed me the note back again, so I opened it up and read it.

_Actually, I have something to do over lunch. Could we maybe talk to tonight after I get done with practice?_

Instead of responding I turned to Edward and nodded to him. I saw him smile at me and I smiled back at him. No matter what he said tonight, we'd still be friends. Or whatever it is that we are.

For the rest of the hour I tried to really pay attention. I diligently copied the notes that Mr. Smithe put on the board. But even though I was going through the motions, I couldn't help but think of Edward. For once, it wasn't about the kiss that we shared. I only thought about him. Who _is _Edward Masen?

Truth be told, I don't really know who he is. He's never really talked to me about his home life or his friends. Hell, he's never even talked to me about sports. So what _do_ I really know about him?

Well, I know that he has beautiful green eyes that hold a specific kind of sadness in them. God, I wish he would tell me what he's thinking. I can see and feel that he's not the happy-go-lucky guy that people think he is.

I sighed as I heard the bell ring, dragging me from my thoughts once again. I packed up my things, debating whether or not I should bring up what happened on Friday—I just want a feel for what might be coming my way. Is that so wrong?

After I gathered my things, I started to make my way to the door. I turned to Edward slightly, but didn't look him in the eyes. "Edward," I began quietly. "I just want to apologize if I crossed the line on Friday. I know you said we would talk about it later, which we still can, but I just wanted to tell you that I hope I didn't make you uncomfortable or anything." Yeah, there's a way to keep a guy. Apologize when _he_ kisses _you_. I don't even know what possessed me to say those words; it just kind of happened. And it's too late now to take them back.

I chanced a glance up at Edward and he was smiling a sad, soft smile. "Bella, you didn't make me feel uncomfortable and I wanted to kiss you." He smiled wider at me and I smiled back at him, a little. "I don't regret it if that's what you're worried about…" he trailed off, looking into my eyes searching for something.

I smiled at him. "Okay. Thanks, Edward." He was really sweet to, at least when we're alone. That's another thing I know about him.

He smiled and leaned his shoulder against the locker next to mine as I opened my locker. "Bella…we'll still talk later, right?"

I nodded. "Sure. Just call me or something when you get done with practice and we'll meet up somewhere." I told him.

He smiled and stood up from the locker. He placed his hand on my arm and I turned to face him. He leaned toward me, like he did last night. I didn't think, I just leaned toward him. Maybe he was going to kiss me again.

All of a sudden, he stopped. He pushed away from me and fled down the hall. I stared after him, wondering what happened. Did I do something wrong? Had I offended him in some way? I hope I hadn't.

I gathered the things I needed for my next classes and began walking toward my second period. This was going to be a long day.

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I walked into the cafeteria for lunch and immediately went to my table. Rose and Emmett were already there and I noticed Alice and Jasper were in line to get food. I plopped down next to Rose and pulled out my bottle of water. I had been thinking about Edward and everything that has happened between us for the past three hours. I think it is safe to say that I am becoming obsessed.

I heard, more than saw, Alice sit down next to me. She was laughing at something Jasper had said. "So, Bella, what happened this morning when you saw Edward?" She asked me, smiling deviously.

I shrugged. "Nothing really. I was late so he wrote me a note during first hour asking if everything was okay and that if we could talk sometime after school…about what happened." I told her even though everyone else was listening.

I sensed Emmett go into full on big brother mode. I rolled my eyes at him. He was friends with Edward—they played on the football team together! But, whenever it comes to me or Alice, no one is good enough. Well, until Alice met Jasper that is. So now, Emmett has me to protect and look out for in the romance department. "Edward…Masen? What did you do with Edward Masen? You better not have done what I'm thinking right now, Bella!" Emmett said to me, with a frightening glare in his eye that would frighten anyone.

I knew him better than though. While he may look and act tough, he was really just a big teddy bear. I shook my head at him. "God, Emmett. No, we didn't have sex if that's what you're implying. Friday night, I went with Mike Newton and his friends to this new club. It was pretty fun and the music was really good. But then Tanya threw her drink on me and I wanted to go home." I saw his eyes bug out at this and instantly turn to try and find Tanya. "That doesn't even matter. So Edward ended up driving me home because I was sort of tired of Mike," I quickly looked around before adding that part. "When we got to my house, Edward…um…well…he kissed me."

Emmett looked at me for a minute before speaking. "I don't like the idea of you going out with him, Bella. I just think he's not good enough for you. I mean, he's kind of like a player." He took a deep breath before continuing. "I just don't want to see you get hurt."

I smiled at him. "That's very sweet of you, Emmett, to care about me that way, but we're not even going out or anything. It was just a kiss. And besides, even if we did end up going out, the choice would be mine to make. Just like if I get my heartbroken, that is also my responsibility. You can't protect me forever." I sighed. Emmett reached over and placed his huge hand over mine, squeezing gently in a sign of comfort.

After that moment was over, Rose spoke up. "Why didn't Edward want to talk to you at lunch?" she asked me suddenly.

I shrugged. "He said he had something to do during lunch. Why?"

She pointed to the table where Edward normally sits. And there he was, in all his glory, sitting with his friends. He was munching on some pizza and laughed at something Eric said. I stared at him for a moment before his eyes came up to meet my gaze. We looked at each other for a minute before I turned away, probably showing the hurt on my face.

Now I see what this whole talking thing's about. I'm not part of his "crowd" so he can't be seen with me. I should have known. I felt someone place their hand on my arm. I looked up to see Alice's concerned face. "Bella, are you okay?" she asked me quietly. I must have looked really upset or sad about this whole thing. Which is weird because this is what I figured the whole time—it was just a kiss.

I smiled at her, a little forcer. "Yeah, Alice, I'm fine. I was just a little surprised that's all. It's his business anyways." I smiled again for them because honestly, I shouldn't expect anything more from him.

I looked away from their concerned faces and up at the clock. I still had over twenty minutes left to lunch. I didn't want to bring everyone else down or make them worry. So, I made up an excuse. "Hey, I'm going to head to the library. My mom wants me to cook dinner tonight and I already have a pretty big-sized pile of homework, so I think I'm going to go work on it." I smiled and stood up, slinging my bag over my shoulder. "Honestly, guys, I'm fine. It's not even a big deal," I told them confidently.

They said their goodbyes and let me go to the library. I really had no intention of doing my homework, but I pulled out my copy of _Pride & Prejudice_ and started reading it in one of the chairs.

It helped pass the time because before I knew it, the bell was ringing already. I packed up my book and started making my way to my locker. I opened it quickly and was surprised to see a note inside. I picked up the note and began reading.

_Bella,  
I'm so sorry about how I acted this morning. And how I told you I had something to do during lunch when I didn't. I was just trying to protect you. I don't want Lauren, Tanya, and Jessica hurting you in any way. I hope that you will still talk to me later. I have something I really want to share with you. I will still call you after practice and if you don't answer your phone, then I'll know that you don't want to talk to me. If that's the case, I will completely understand.  
-Edward_

I folded the note and slipped it into my pocket. As nice as the note seemed, I still couldn't help wonder why he felt that he needed to protect me from them. Or lie to me for that matter. Oh well, I'm sure it was for a good reason.

I grabbed my bag and headed for class, just wondering and waiting for what's in store for me.

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A/N: So…what do you think Edward is going to tell her? Please review and tell me what you think!! I really appreciate it and I wanted to thank everyone who reads this story! Also, a special thanks to those of you who reviewed: .cRaZy, Midnight Equinox, Jess Loves Twilight, , romav1, lifeisruff4, Jasper my twin. You guys make me so happy!!

Also, I want to apologize for not having the Bella and Edward talk in this chapter! I was planning on it, but I can't seem to get it right yet and I didn't want to keep you guys waiting any longer! But there's another reason that it's taking me awhile to update either of my stories. Every time I start to write for my stories, I keep thinking about two ideas for stories that I am thinking about writing about. So, I want you opinions—actually, I need your opinions. You guys read this, so you'll be able to tell me if you think it will be good or bad.

The first idea is to have a Twilight-like story where Edward is the human and Bella is the vampire, however I would follow semi-closely to the books. I am also thinking, if I wrote this story, that I would also write an AU of the other two books, New Moon and Eclipse—not breaking dawn because Edward is a boy and boys can't get pregnant. Anyways, that is something that I've been toying with for a while now and I want to know what you guys think about it.

The other idea is to write a New Moon like story where Bella isn't as weak as she is in the story. She actually does things differently. Right now, I'm thinking she either tries to stop/follow him, or she doesn't completely crumble when he leaves.

Like I said, I'm not sure about either story—they are both something that's frequently done that's why I want your opinions. You know my stories would be different and I would take any suggestions for the stories happily!! So please, either in a review or a pm, please please tell me what you think!!

Sorry about the extremely long a/n! Thanks for reading it! 3


	14. Chapter 14

Hey everyone! So here's the long awaited chapter! I think it turned out pretty good. I really hope you like it! Please review and tell me what you think!! :)

Also, please let me know what you think about my ideas for a new story. (They are talked about in the a/n for the last chapter) Basically, I'm thinking about writing a story following closely (sort of) to the Twilight books but Edward would be the human. Or possibly another story about Bella being stronger when Edward left in New Moon. Just let me know what you think.

Again, I don't own Twilight.

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**Edward's POV**

I paced along the little gravel path that wove around the small park. I called Bella about ten minutes ago and asked her to meet me at this park. Thankfully, she agreed.

I was really worried she wouldn't want to talk to me because of the way I treated her today. I can't believe I did that to her. This was the girl I was claiming to have feelings for—I'm so pathetic. I really wanted to find her before school so we could talk. I was going to tell her that I liked her.

Yes, I am going to tell her that I like her. Tonight. As soon as she gets here.

I am so nervous; I can't stop pacing. My mind is going crazy over how she will respond. Especially since everything can't be normal for us—we can't be a couple in public. Elizabeth can never find out. If she found out that I loved Bella—wait, slow down there, Edward. Yes, you care about her, but you can't jump to that conclusion. Not yet. Everyone else I loved or cared about, never felt that way about me. Not my father. Not my mother. Not even Elizabeth.

This isn't about them. Except that it is. Elizabeth would never allow me to date anyone like Bella. She only allows me to go out and talk to the people she chooses. And Bella is definitely not someone Elizabeth would let me talk to.

I absentmindedly kicked the little stones beneath me, trying to let go of some of my anger. I didn't want to do this to Bella. She deserves someone so much better than me. Someone who can love her and care about her in public without having to worry about the consequences. If Elizabeth found out she'd…probably send me away. Or worse, do something to Bella.

And that's not even considering what Jessica, Tanya, and Lauren would do to her if they found out. And the worst thing is, I wouldn't be able to protect her.

I groaned and sat down on a bench on the side of the path. This bench was meant for parents and guardians to watch their children because it overlooked the playground area. I vaguely remember going to a park similar to this one when I was really young—maybe four or five. Before things started happening with my…father. I can remember my father pushing me on a swing so I could go higher than my mother who was swinging next to me.

I shook my head of the memory; I don't want to remember anything from my past life, now or ever. It was too painful, both the happy memories and the sad ones. And things didn't get better when I moved in with Elizabeth.

I stood up and began pacing again. I wanted to clear my mind of the memories so I thought about what I was going to say to Bella. It is going to be really difficult to talk to Bella, to say what I need to say.

I need to tell her how I feel about her. I have to; I need to know if she could ever possibly feel that way about me. But before I can really know if she does, I have to tell her that we wouldn't be able to date in public; it would have to be a secret. I hated doing it to her, but I would have to lie, partially. I would tell her the reason we couldn't date in public is because of Jessica and her little clones. I would tell her that they would hurt her and I couldn't do that to her.

This wasn't altogether wrong; I was just omitting the part about Elizabeth. I've only ever told Seth about Elizabeth before, and looked how that turned out. No, Elizabeth was something I would just keep to myself.

I just hope she doesn't cost me my chance with Bella.

I turned around as I heard a car door slam. The slam had completely caught me off guard as I had been so lost in my thoughts. I couldn't help but smile as I saw the most beautiful girl walking toward me. I also noticed the look of…hurt? No, it looked more like a pained determination plastered on her face.

She stopped in front of me and gave me a small smile. "Hi, Edward."

"Bella. Thank you so much for meeting me tonight," I started looking at the ground. I took a deep breath and looked back up into her eyes, allowing myself to be drawn into their warmth. "Bella…I am so sorry about what happened today. I acted like a complete idiot and I'm just really sorry. But you have to know that I only did it to try and protect you—"

Bella interrupted me. "Edward, I know, I read your note. I just don't know what you were trying to protect me from. We just kissed. Nothing more, nothing less. I understand that." She finished, but looked down.

I felt my heart literally break when she said that. _We just kissed. Nothing more, nothing less._ That's all she thought of it. I cleared my throat, trying to swallow my pain at her words. "Bella…I never thought that. I thought it was something more than just a kiss," I told her softly.

Her eyes darted up to meet mine in a flash. And for the first time all day I saw hope in her eyes. "Bella," I continued. "The reason I wanted to find you this morning is because I wanted to talk to you about…about how I feel…about you." I took a deep breath and spit the rest out before I could chicken out. "Bella…I really like you. You're the first person I've talked to in a long time who I feel actually cares about what I have to say. And I really do care about you, a lot."

I looked into her eyes, losing my train of thought as I became absorbed in her chocolate eyes. I know there was something I was trying to tell her, but I couldn't remember what it was.

"Edward." Bella took me out of my trance and I listened to what she said. "What does that mean?"

I smiled at her, really smiled for the first time all day. "Bella, I like you a lot. And I wanted to know if, maybe…you'd want to go out with me sometime."

I saw her smile back at me and I felt my heart swell up when she smiled that way. But I couldn't let her respond—I couldn't get her hopes up, or mine, before I laid out all the facts. "Bella, before you say anything, there's something you should know. If you want to…go out with me, we wouldn't be able to tell anyone."

She looked up at me, her eyes clouded with confusions. "Why? Do you not want anyone to see us together…" she said softly.

I realized right then what she must have been thinking all day—that I didn't _want_ to be seen with her. I'm sure, thinking back, that that's what she thought when she saw me in the cafeteria today. The look she gave me, it broke my heart.

I shook my head at her. "No, of course not, Bella. That's not it at all, although, I can see why you would think that way. I'm so sorry about today. I never wanted you to think that…" I said sadly.

She gave me a small, reassuring smile. "It's okay. It's just nice to hear that you actually…want me."

I looked at her. "How could no one want you? Bella, I care about you so much and would love for you to want to go out with me. But because I care about you so much, I don't want to see you hurt. If we went…public, Jessica, Tanya, and Lauren would stop at nothing to hurt you…or make your life a living hell. I couldn't stand to watch that happen." I told her sadly. "Because of this, I understand if you don't want to go out with me."

To my utter shock, Bella actually laughed quietly. I looked at her, wondering what on earth she was laughing at. She smiled at me and shook her head. "Edward, I just told you that no one's ever really wanted me before. Why would I want to give that up?"

I looked at her. I had been prepared for her to turn me down as soon as I told her that we wouldn't be able to be open about our relationship. "Really…? You wouldn't mind?"

She shook her head. "Of course not. I know that it wouldn't be easy, but I'm willing to give it a shot." She smiled at me.

I was so overcome with emotion at her answer, I threw my arms around her, wrapping them around her waist and holding her tightly to me. I felt her chuckle at me before she wrapped her arms around my neck. She pulled herself closer to me and I placed my lips on her cheek, giving her a quick, loving kiss. "God, I don't deserve someone like you," I whispered.

But she heard it. She pulled away from me, a serious look on her face. "Edward, don't say that. If I thought I was better than you, I wouldn't be going out with you. But I don't think I'm better than anyone, so we won't have to worry about that." She smiled then.

I just nodded. "Thank you so much, Bella. You are just so amazingly wonderful and—"

Her lips crushing mine cut me off. She kissed me with so much passion, I wasn't prepared for it. I pulled her right up against me, closing any distance between us, and kissing her back, pouring all the love I felt for her into that kiss.

All too soon, she pulled away, giggling. She placed her hand on my cheek. "You shouldn't get carried away, Edward." I looked down and blushed—which is something I've never done before her. She pulled my face up, forcing my eyes to meet her gaze. "I didn't say that I minded it." She laughed and let go of my face.

She pulled out her phone, checking the time. She sighed and looked back at me. "I'm sorry, but I have to get going. I'm supposed to be making dinner right now. My mom is coming back tonight and Phil is coming home for a couple of days and she wants a nice, family dinner tonight." She seemed kind of upset about this, but she quickly changed the subject. "Will we talk later tonight?"

I nodded and smiled at her. "I want to. I'll call you in a few hours…if that's okay?" I asked her. I really wanted to talk to her, but I didn't want to pressure her.

She smiled and kissed me quickly on the lips. "Of course that's okay. I love talking to you." She smiled.

"Okay, good cause I love talking to you too." I smiled at her and she began to pull away. But I shook my head at her and held her tighter. "What, no goodbye kiss?"

She laughed but leaned in and gave me another kiss. This kiss was gentler than the other one, but still amazing. I've never had a kiss like this before—no other girl has ever kissed me the way Bella does. I get this weird, tingly feeling when our lips touch; it almost feels like electricity. Again, she pulled away, but gave me another quick peck on the lips. I smiled at her, already excited about being able to talk to her later.

I grabbed her hand and walked her back to her car. She slid in and started it up. She turned to me before shutting the door. "I'll talk to you later."

I smiled at her and nodded. "Definitely. Have a good night, Bella."

She smiled. "You too, Edward." With that, she shut her door and drove off.

I couldn't help but smile at her as she drove away. I was so incredibly happy with her and how everything turned out, I had to restrain myself from jumping up and down. I haven't been this happy since…in a long time.

I sighed and walked to my Volvo. I knew Elizabeth was waiting for me at her house. I'm sure she wouldn't be happy with me for being late, but I didn't care. I would take whatever she did to me because now, I have Bella. And that changes everything.

* * *

A/N: Sorry that this chapter is shorter than the others, but it was up pretty quickly—especially since I updated yesterday!! But I still hope you like it and would love to hear what you thinkg—good, bad, ugly—everything is welcome! :)

Thanks to all my reviewers! I love you all so much! I'd give shout outs, but I haven't given you guys enough time to review!! But I appreciate you all so much! Please review for this chapter and tell me what you think about my story ideas! I love knowing what you guys think and since you're my readers, I want to give you what you want to read!! 3


	15. Chapter 15

I want to apologize for not updating in a really long time! I'm really really sorry! It was one thing after another and then I finally finished this chapter and my computer decided that I no longer needed to go on the internet—ever. So, to make a long story short, I had to take my computer in and get it fixed—something was wrong with the wifi card chip thing. Anyways, I am really very sorry.

Now, this chapter takes place three weeks after the night Edward asked Bella to be his secret girlfriend. I decided to skip some time so I can continue with the storyline I want to write and I don't want to have one thing happen directly happen after another!! Some of you were worried that I might start skipping too much time, but I promise you, I will never skip this much time again! And nothing has really happened between Bella and Edward in those three weeks—but you'll see once you start reading! Just so you know the relative time of year, homecoming was at the end of September so it's close to the end of October. One more note about this chapter. The school they go to starts at 8:30 in the morning. There's a time reference in this chapter and I just wanted to clarify that here!

Thanks for reading this a/n and my story! I really appreciate all of my wonderful reviewers!! I got way more than I ever expected nor asked for and I appreciate every single one of them!! I really hope you all are not too angry with me and will still review my story!!

**Edward's POV**

I sighed contentedly as I shut off my alarm clock. I'm actually content—happy with my life for the first time ever. I don't have as many…dreams as I used to and Elizabeth has let up on me a little bit. But the reason I am so happy is because of Bella.

The past three weeks went by in a fast, amazing blur. Bella and I have been hanging out as much as we can. Her mother and step-father are not at her house that often on weekends so I go over to her house whenever I can on the weekends. During the week, we use the excuse that Bella is helping me with my Trig homework. That seems to work for Elizabeth and I think she might actually not hate Bella. I love spending time with Bella. We watch movies, television shows, play board games, and just reveled in each other's company.

Bella is the most amazing girl I have ever met. She is so kind and sweet—especially to me about this whole situation. I know that she doesn't understand why we can't go out in public, but she understands that it's something I can't fully explain right now. I feel as though she is my other half, my soul mate. She fits perfectly in my arms when I hold her. Her lips meld against mine in perfect harmony whenever we kiss. She knows how to calm me down when I'm upset. I love everything about her.

I was still smiling as I got into my shower. I inhaled the steam as the scalding water flowed over my body. I finished my shower quickly, eager to get to school. I loved being able to see Bella in the morning, even though I can't sit by her. I really want to change that, but I'm not sure how. No one truly understands what's happened in my life or what's happening with Elizabeth. I know the logical thing would be just to tell Bella what's going on in my life and she would help me figure everything out. But I'm afraid that she would leave me or wouldn't care about me anymore if she found out how weak I was.

I shook my head as I threw on my jacket, trying to rid myself of those thoughts. Bella cares for me—a lot. I know that and she's told me so. She wouldn't just leave me when I need her the most. Bella's not like that.

I grabbed my backpack and rushed down the stairs to the kitchen. I grabbed a granola bar and started to make my way to my car when I heard her.

"Edward Anthony, why are you off to school so early? What's going on with you?" She questioned me, staring intently at me as if trying to figure out my secret.

I shrugged my shoulders. "Nothing's going on with me. And I'm going to school early to meet up with my friends." I glanced at the clock. "Besides, it's already ten to eight! I'm not even going to be that early," I told her.

She sighed and put her hands on her hips. "Edward, I don't like this new attitude of yours. I expect you to change it or something will have to be done." She told me, an evil glint in her eye.

I just turned away from her and walked out of the house. I should have paid more attention to her, but I didn't really care what she had to say. There's really nothing she could do to me that would diminish my happiness.

I got in my silver Volvo and drove to school. I made it there at about five after eight. I saw that Bella's car, a dark blue cavalier, wasn't here. I grabbed my bag and started to walk to the building. I passed by Bella's locker and then paused by it. I quickly got out a notebook from my backpack and a pen. I scribbled a quick note to Bella.

_Bella,  
I wanted to leave you a little note to hopefully brighten your morning. I missed you last night—I wish I was able to see you more often. I hope that I can see you later tonight. Have a good day! I'll see you in Trig!  
--Edward_

I smiled to myself as I slipped the folded note into her locker. I began walking to my locker to start a new day at this school when someone grabbed my arm. I turned to see who it was and instantly grimaced.

"Hi, Edward. I haven't talked to you in a while. Have you missed me?" Tanya asked me, trying to be coy. She just annoyed me.

I tensed under her grasp of my arm, willing her with my mind to just let go. "Hi, Tanya. I've been fine. How are you?" I asked her, trying to be polite because that's what Edward Masen does. I know that if Elizabeth ever found out that I was not polite to Tanya…well, it wouldn't be pretty.

She smiled at me, clearly trying to seduce me or something. I looked away from her, trying to suppress the urge to groan and roll my eyes. "I'm great now that you're here. So, are you coming to my party tomorrow night?"

I grimaced. It was Friday today, which makes tomorrow Saturday and the day of Tanya's party. I had completely forgotten about Tanya's party, which is unusual because that's all everyone has been talking about for the past two weeks. I shrugged, "I'm not sure, Tanya. I'll have to see." I really didn't want to go. I have always hated parties—girls throwing themselves at any nearby boy, guys trying to "score" with as many girls as they can, and everyone is completely trashed out of their minds. It's just…annoying.

She stared at me, her mouth hanging open in shock. "You…might not…go? Why not? Do you have some other plans? Is something wrong? Are you going out of town? What's going on?" She threw questions at me.

I shrugged again, opening my locker. "I just…might not go. Nothing's wrong and no, I'm not going out of town. I just don't know if I want to go to another party," I told her truthfully. I am getting really tired of lying to everyone.

She just stared at me for a moment before speaking. "What the hell is with you, Edward? You've changed and haven't been acting like yourself for the past few weeks. I don't even know you anymore!" She shrieked at me.

I laughed, threw my head back and laughed. She's right; I have changed, but I've become who I want to be, not who I'm expected to be. Tanya stormed off, obviously upset over my outburst, but I really couldn't care. I continued packing up my things and made my way to the cafeteria where my…friends were waiting for me.

I walked in and immediately took my seat between Mike and Eric. They were talking about Tanya's party; I just tuned them out. I noticed that Tanya, Jessica, and Lauren were talking animatedly while looking at me every so often. I sighed and looked away. I glanced over at the doors and noticed _her_ walking in. Bella. She was so beautiful today—not that she isn't every day. She was wearing a dark blue sweater and jeans. I smiled to myself as I watched her walk in with Alice. They both were laughing at something. Bella looked over at me and her eyes met mine for a brief moment. I felt my face flush, realizing I got caught. Bella just smiled at me and then looked away. I, reluctantly, tore my gaze away from Bella and looked around the cafeteria.

"God, Bella looks so hot today," I heard Mike mutter. The jealously immediately flared up inside me. I hated when he would talk about Bella that way. I ignored him as he continued to talk with Eric about her and Rosalie—Eric thought Rose was really attractive and constantly held onto the hope that she would break up with Emmett.

"Edward, we saw you staring at her this morning," I heard a female voice whisper in my ear. I turned around and looked directly at Jessica's face. "You better be careful, Edward. You don't belong with people like her, Edward, so you shouldn't even be looking at her like that. Besides, you already have me, Tanya, and Lauren; you couldn't possibly want anything more." She smiled at me, a cunning look about her. "If you don't watch your step, Elizabeth might be interested to know about what's been going on here," she threatened me.

I just stared at her. "Jessica, nothing's going on. I was just looking at her." I hated lying. I wanted everyone to know how much I care for Bella, but I can't. "Mike and Tyler were looking at her too," I told her, hoping to take some of the pressure off of me.

Jessica just smiled at me. "Yes, but they are allowed to. You, Edward, are the best guy at this school. You just are not meant to look at anyone of her…status." She smiled and patted my cheek in a condescending way before leaving.

I groaned and placed my head on the table, willing this whole mess to go away. I always knew that I had…rules to follow because of what I've become, but they've never mattered much to me, until now. Mike and Tyler were still going on about Bella and Rosalie, except they've also added Alice into the mix. I grabbed my bag and stormed out of the cafeteria; I couldn't take it anymore.

I feel as though I'm suffocating here. The only thing I want is the one thing I can't even truly have. I walked into my Trig classroom, not even caring that I was fifteen minutes early. I sat down in my desk, placing my head in my hands. I can't do this anymore. I can't be this person that I hate. I hate who I've become—who I've been forced to become. I've always hated this person, but I hate him even more now. I hate that I can't be what Bella deserves.

I was so lost in my thoughts, that I didn't even notice anyone else enter the room until I felt the hand on my shoulder. I jerked away from it, startled.

"Edward," Bella whispered to me. I looked up and was met with her caring brown eyes. She gave me a little smile and I could feel her concern pouring off of her. "Are you okay?"

I stood up from my desk and threw my arms around her waist, pulling her close to me. She wrapped her arms around my neck, holding me close to her. She didn't say anything; she just understood that I needed her for a moment. While I stood there with her for a few minutes, my mind began to wander. She would understand if I told her what was going on. I owed her that much—she deserves to know why I'm afraid to go public about us.

She leaned up to me, kissing my cheek lightly before resting her head on my shoulder again. "Sorry for following you, but you seemed upset and I wanted to make sure you were okay," she whispered.

I smiled, "Bella, I really appreciate that you are there for me. Please, don't apologize. It's just…I've never had anyone who's so willing to be there for me. I'm not used to it," I told her.

She smiled and it made me feel as though she can see right through the mask that I'm forced to wear. "I understand, Edward." She pressed her lips gently to mine before pulling away. She looked deep into my eyes. I gazed right back, getting lost in her brown orbs. They seemed to be shining from excitement. "Edward…I have something I want to ask you." She looked down at the ground, suddenly nervous. "Well, I told my friends…about us—I know you don't want anyone to know, but they could all tell something was off, so I told them. But don't worry, they would never tell anyone. Anyways, we are all going to hang out at Emmett and Alice's house tonight and I wanted to know…I was wondering if…maybe you would want to come too?"

I couldn't express the joy that overcame me when she said that. She wanted me to meet her friends—officially. However, I couldn't find anything to say to her. I just watched her with shock clearly evident on my face. Bella looked at me with a hurt expression on her face, taking my silence in the wrong way. "I'm sorry, Edward. I shouldn't have asked. I know what position this puts you in," she whispered, looking down at the ground.

I looked at her, ashamed with myself for allowing her to believe such a thing. I gently placed a finger under her chin, lifting her gaze to mine. I smiled at her, hoping to reassure her. "Of course, I'd love to go with you." Bella smiled at me and I couldn't help but smile right back at her. "I'm sorry I didn't say anything before; I was just shocked that you wanted me to meet your friends."

She looked at me, a quizzical expression on her face. "Why would I not want you to meet my friends?"

I shrugged. "I don't know…I'm not exactly the perfect boyfriend. I mean, we have to be secret and…"

"Edward, please don't think that. You are sweet, kind, smart, and you care about me. My friends, while they may not understand completely, they know that I care about you and that you make me happy. They would never do anything to jeopardize that."

I smiled at her, happy that she is reassuring me. "Thank you, Bella." She leaned in and gave me another chaste kiss, again calming me down. I pulled away from her, hearing the bell ring signifying the start of the school day. "You always know just what to do or say to calm me down." I told her as she walked over and sat down in her desk.

She sat down and starting pulling her notebook out of her backpack as other students starting piling into the classroom. When she had everything she needed out of her backpack, she turned to me and gave me one of her breathtaking smiles. Her whole face lights up and her eyes sparkle. I felt my heart skip a beat and my breath catch in my throat. She has no idea what she does to me. I smiled back at her and gave her a wink. She giggled and turned away, blushing.

I smiled to myself and tried to keep my attention on the lecture. However, my mind kept shifting back to Bella. I was hyperaware of every move she made. Every time she shifted in her seat, I shifted in mine. Every time she pushed her hair behind ear or over her shoulder, I longed to be able to run my hand through her hair.

With about ten minutes left to the period, I finally focused on what Mr. Smithe was saying. He started talking about the test that's going to be on Monday.

The bell rang and I packed up my stuff quickly. I walked with Bella to her locker. I couldn't quite give up the one time I can walk with her anywhere. I almost growled when I saw Mike leaning against Bella's locker. What did he want now? I saw him smile at her and could tell he was trying to undress her with his eyes.

"Hi, Bella," Mike said while I controlled a grimace. "Edward." I nodded, acknowledging his presence.

"Hi, Mike. What's up?" Bella asked him. She started opening her locker.

"Well…Tanya's having a party tomorrow night and I was wondering if you wanted to go with me," Mike asked her. I almost opened my mouth to tell Mike to back off, but I realized that I couldn't do that. I stared daggers into the ground while I stood there, trying to control my breathing as I waited for Bella to answer him.

She shrugged. "I don't know. Emmett mentioned something about possibly going and if I do, I would go with Alice and Jasper. I'm sorry…it's just how it's always been," she told him, giving him a small smile.

He looked really sad that she turned him down, but I couldn't help but rejoice—silently, inside my own head. Mike was supposed to be my friend after all; I couldn't just jump for joy. Mike looked down and nodded his head. "Okay, maybe I'll see you there than."

Bella smiled at him and said, "Mike, I really am sorry. It's just that I already promised them."

He looked up and smiled at her. "Alright, I understand, Bella." He leaned in and gave her a hug, which Bella did not reciprocate. She just looked up at me with shocked eyes. He pulled away and said, "I'll look for you tomorrow night then." He walked away from us with a stupid grin on his face. What I wouldn't give to wipe that damn grin off his face.

"Edward?" I heard Bella question me. I looked at her. She gave me a small smile and gently rubbed my arm in a reassuring motion. "Edward, please don't worry about Mike. He's got nothing on you," she said with a wink.

I smiled at her. "Thanks. He just…makes me uneasy," I told her.

She laughed. "Edward, Mike is like a lost puppy dog. He's harmless. Besides, I already have the perfect boyfriend." I smiled at her and gave her a hug. I realized quickly that I wasn't supposed to do that in public, so I pulled away. She laughed and began walking down the hallway.

I smiled after her and began walking. As I walked, I realized there was a piece of paper in my shirt pocket. I couldn't remember putting anything in it, so I pulled out the paper and began reading it.

_Edward,  
Thank you for your note this morning. It definitely brightened my day. You were so cute this morning in the cafeteria—how you blushed when I caught you looking at me. You shouldn't be embarrassed. I look at you far more than I should.  
I'm sorry for whatever upset you this morning also. I know you'll tell me that it wasn't my fault, but I don't like seeing you upset. It literally broke my heart to walk into the classroom and see you look so down. I'm glad you are feeling better, though.  
I'm also really happy that you agreed to come with me tomorrow night. All of my friends, especially Alice, are dying to meet you. Oh, and don't get too intimidated by Emmett. He's like my older brother—my extremely protective older brother. I already gave him a talk, but I wanted to give you a heads up on him.  
I hope you have a good rest of the day! I'll see you later tonight. Would you like to pick me up tonight around six? We normally order a pizza, watch movies, and play video games. Just text me or call me and let me know if that works for you.  
Talk to you soon,  
Bella _

I smiled to myself, remembering our quick hug in the hallway. She must have slipped it into my pocket then. I folded it back up and placed it back into my pocket. I was really looking forward to tonight, even if I was a little nervous. Bella would be there for me and help everything go smoothly.

**Bella's POV**

I was pacing nervously, awaiting Edward's arrival. I'm not exactly sure why I was nervous. I know that my friends are going to like him and everything. I suppose Alice just has me worried because of her…outgoing personality. I laughed to myself, thinking about Alice pushing her way into Edward's life.

I heard Edward's Volvo pull into my driveway and immediately walked out my front door to meet him. He smiled at me, already out of the driver's seat. He held out a hand to me and pulled my in for a hug.

"Hi, Bella."

I smiled at him. "Hi." He took my hand and led me to the passenger's seat. Being the gentleman that he is, he opened the car door for me. As soon as I was in, he ran to the driver's side and we began our journey to the Cullen's house. We spent the entire ride in a comfortable silence, letting the calming sounds of Debussy fill his car.

After about fifteen minutes, we reached their house. I got out of Edward's car before he had the chance to come around and help me out. I was starting to get more nervous and couldn't help but fidget. Edward came around the car to walk with me into the house. I reached for his hand and held it tightly in mine. I could tell that he needed the support more than I did. It was almost funny in a way, how nervous we both were.

We walked up to the door and I was about to open it when Alice threw opened the door. "Bella!" She shrieked, pulling me in for a hug. "Edward," she laughed when she pulled away from me. Alice, being Alice, immediately pulled him in for a hug as well. She grabbed his other hand and pulled us in behind her. She brought us into their living room where Emmett and Jasper were already battling each other on the Playstation Two. Alice impatiently tapped her foot. "Guys…Bella and Edward are here!"

Jasper turned around and beamed at us. "I won," he sang at us, but directed his eyes at Emmett's sulking figure. He came over to me and pulled me in for a hug. It was less awkward that Alice's hug because I had let go of Edward's hand. "Hello, Bella. It's been way too long since I've last seen you," he said with a wink. We both find it amusing that Alice gets overly excited whenever we are together.

"Oh, of course, Jasper. What's it been now? Ten years?" I joked with him. We both looked at Alice who was looking at us with annoyance. She knew that we were only joking.

Jasper turned to Edward and shook his hand—Jasper's quite the diplomatic guy. "Edward. It's good to see you again," he said politely. I smiled at Jasper. I knew he would be the one who would make Edward feel the most welcome without freaking him out.

Edward smiled at Jasper and shook his hand. "You too, Jasper." Edward released Jasper's hand and turned his face to me. I gave him an encouraging smile and reached for his hand.

"Edward, that's Rosalie and Emmett," I told him, pointing at each of them. Emmett was still complaining to Rose about how he lost and Rose was trying to console him. Emmett didn't even look up at us, but Rose gave me a small smile. Alice led us to the couch where Edward and I sat. Alice perched on the arm of the couch, next to Jasper. Rose and Emmett were still sitting together on the loveseat.

"So…what are we doing tonight?" I asked everyone, but mostly directed toward Alice who normally planned everything out.

Alice smiled at me. "Well, Esme is making us pizza for dinner right now and I figured we could all watch a movie." She shrugged before continuing, "I thought that we would have a quiet night since we're going to that party at Tanya's tomorrow."

I groaned. "Alice," I whined. "Are we really going to go there?"

Alice nodded. "Yup; it's going to be a lot of fun, Bella. You'll see." Alice smiled brilliantly at me, unfortunately making me start to cave in to her wants. "Besides, it will be the perfect opportunity to give you makeover!" I groaned while everyone laughed.

Edward looked to me. "So, you're going to Tanya's party for sure?"

I nodded to him. "It looks that way," I told him. I really didn't want to go for the simple fact that I wouldn't be able to hang out with my boyfriend—if that's even what Edward truly is.

"Guys! Dinner!" Esme yelled from the kitchen. Emmett immediately rushed to the kitchen muttering something about first dibs. I smiled and got up off the couch and began leading Edward to the kitchen. Rose followed closely behind Emmett, while Alice and Jasper were slowly following Edward and me.

I went up and greeted Esme with a hug, "Hi, Esme. Thank you for cooking us dinner. It smells wonderful," I told her truthfully.

She smiled at me. "Thank you, Bella. At least someone appreciates me enough to say thanks before stuffing their face," she said over her shoulder, clearly aiming that comment at Emmett. She turned back to look at Edward who was nervously shifting from foot to foot with his hands in his pockets. She smiled warmly at Edward, welcoming him to the family. "Hello. You must be Edward. Bella's talked about you quite a lot," She said with a laugh. I just blushed and looked down while Esme pulled Edward in for a hug. He awkwardly hugged her back, but seemed pleased and calmer than he was. Esme has that affect on people—she always makes you feel welcome and loved.

She let go of Edward and ushered us to the table to sit down. Dinner passed quickly and quietly; everyone seemed engrossed in the meal, which isn't unusual for us. Carlisle had to work a late shift at the hospital, so he wasn't there to join us.

After dinner, we all put our dishes in the sink after Esme told us that she would clean up tonight; she wanted us to enjoy our time together and not have to worry about chores.

Alice bounced into the living room and began searching through their movies, trying to find the perfect one, no doubt. Emmett and Rose reclaimed their spots on the loveseat and Edward and I sat back down on the couch. Alice finally squealed and exclaimed that she has found the perfect movie for this occasion.

"Vantage Point! It's the best movie ever—and it's not a chick flick so everyone is happy!" Alice explained as she started the movie.

We all quieted down and watched the movie. Everyone was really into it, at least that's what it seemed like to me. However, Alice became restless and started talking. "Rose, do you know what you're going to wear to the party tomorrow?" Rose shook her head and those two started planning each other's outfits, and my outfit, for the party. The rest of us tried to tune them out and watch the rest of the movie.

"Bella?" Alice asked me. I turned and faced her. "You never did tell us what happened that night at the club—when you went with Mike."

I felt Edward tense beside me at the mention of my date with Mike. I rubbed his arm soothingly before grabbing his hand and holding it tightly in mine. He seemed calmer and squeezed my hand in return. "Alice, what do you want to know?"

She smiled mischieviously. "Well, we know the…important details, but we don't know what happened in the bathroom." I looked at her, confused by what she meant. "With the skanks—you never told us what happened."

I shrugged. "It's really not a big deal or anything; it completely slipped my mind. Basically, they came into the bathroom attempting to harass me some more."

Edward complete froze beside me. "They tried to hurt you more?" He questioned.

I shook my head. "No, they didn't. They've never hurt me, but they have a sick obsession with you, Edward. You better be careful," I warned, slightly teasing. He just rolled his eyes, but I knew he took my warning seriously. They were slightly stalkerish toward Edward. "Anyways, so they came into the bathroom while I was attempting to salvage my shirt. They said things, trying to insult me and get a rise out of me. But I just ignored them, which, naturally, made them extremely pissed. They expected me to try and fight them and I knew that ignoring them would make them more furious."

Rose looked at me and smirked. "But that can't be all that happened, can it?"

I shook my head. "No. They kept going on and eventually I just started laughing. The extremes they went to! Anyways, they finally gave up and started to walk away when I decided it was time to speak. I told them that Edward wasn't their lapdog and he would do what he wants…and that maybe he prefers the chase instead of being chased." I started laughing. "Their faces were priceless—they didn't understand what I was talking about. I just let them mull it over before explaining to them that Edward doesn't like them as much as they like him. That made them upset and they called me a…_! _I know, what an insult, right? I just laughed it off and said that maybe Edward preferred a brainy girl than a bimbo."

Alice and Rose started laughing while the boys chuckled nervously. I shrugged. "It really wasn't anything spectacular. I don't really know why it upset them so much."

Alice and Rose continued to laugh while Emmett started talking. "Bella, you probably insulted them more than you know. They expect everyone to fawn all over them and they love the attention that they get. So you, telling them that Edward might not like them just smashed their egos."

I just shrugged. I really didn't care about Jessica, Tanya, and Lauren. I just told them what I thought and left it at that—I don't see why my friends are making such a big deal about it.

Eventually, the laughter and murmured whispers died down and we all watched the rest of the movie. While I watched the movie, my mind started wandering. I thought about Edward and our time together. The past few weeks had been amazing. I've never had a real boyfriend before and it's really nice to have someone there that truly cares about me. However, I still don't know if he's my boyfriend or…what he is exactly. We haven't come out as a couple yet, and I'm okay with that—for the time being. I know that Edward is hiding something from me—not hiding, but uneasy about telling me something. I have a feeling that it has to do with why he doesn't want to be a couple out in public. I know that he will have to tell me soon and if he doesn't tell me on his own, I'll ask him about it.

I was lost in my own thoughts that I didn't realize the movie had been over for a little while. The only reason I came back to the present now is because Edward was lightly shaking my shoulder.

"Bella? Bella, are you there?"

I smiled and swatted his hand away. "Yeah, I'm here. Sorry, I just zoned for a little while."

"Bella, you're going to be here at three tomorrow, okay?" Alice asked me, already knowing that I would have no say in what was going on.

"Yeah, Alice. I'll see you then," I said as I stood up, getting ready to leave. Rose and Emmett had disappeared somewhere, so I wouldn't be able to say goodbye. It wasn't a big deal because I would see both of them tomorrow since we were going to Tanya's party.

"Bye, Alice!" I said as I started walking toward the door. "Bye, Jasper. I'll see you tomorrow!" Edward said his goodbyes and followed me out the door. I took his hand as he walked me to the passenger side of his car. He helped me in and shut the door behind me. I watched him as he walked around the car and slid into his seat.

As we began driving away from the Cullen's house, I started talking. "So, Edward, did you have a good time?"

He smiled and nodded. "Yeah, I did. Your friends are all very nice. I was worried though when you told me that Emmett might interrogate me," he told me with a laugh. "I see now that I didn't have anything to worry about."

I laughed along with him and said, "Yeah, he was just upset about his loss to Jasper to really care about anything. Oh well, there's always next time," I joked.

He laughed along with me and held my hand tightly in his. We talked about the night as he drove me back to my house.

When Edward pulled up to my house, he turned and faced me. "Bella, are you really going to Tanya's tomorrow night?"

I nodded. "Yeah. All my friends really want to go and they think it will be fun. I'm not so sure, but we'll see."

"Okay." He took a deep breath. "Bella, can you promise me that you'll be careful tomorrow night? I just don't want anything to happen to you."

I smiled at him. "Of course, Edward. I'll be careful. But I don't think anything will happen to me."

He sighed. "You'd be surprised at what happens at these parties," he said quietly. "I'll see you tomorrow night then." He smiled sadly at me and leaned in to kiss me. His lips gently brushed against mine. I could feel his tension and worry in our kiss but there was also something else—something I couldn't quite name. It made me feel uneasy and calm at the same time and I'm not sure why.

All too soon, Edward pulled away and gave me one of his crooked smiles. "Goodnight, Bella."

"Goodbye, Edward," I told him as I opened the car door. I had made him promise not to open my car door for me when he dropped me off because it was unnecessary.

As I was climbing out of the car, Edward's hand gripped my wrist. "Bella, you'll be careful, right?"

I smiled at him, "Yes, Edward. I'll be careful." He gave me a small smile and let me continue out of his car. I know that he's worried because this will be the first party that both of us are at since we've started…dating. I think he's worried because he won't be able to be with me throughout the night and he doesn't want any guy getting too close to me. I can tell that he gets tense and jealous every time Mike talks to me. I think it's kind of cute.

I got to my door and unlocked it. I turned on my front porch and waved to Edward, signaling for him to leave. He was very protective of me and my well-being. I smiled to myself as I locked my front door behind me.

As I got ready for bed, I couldn't help but think about what might happen tomorrow night.

A/N: There's chapter 15. I really hope you guys like it. I need this to happen and it took a while to write it out because I wanted it to be perfect. Next chapter will be Tanya's party!

Please review and tell me what you think of this chapter!! I know I don't deserve reviews because of how long I took, but I would really appreciate them!! :)


	16. Chapter 16

A/N: Hello everyone. I want to start off with an apology for taking so long. I had a bad case of writer's block followed by family issues, then an impromptu vacation to California to get away from everything. And now I'm super swamped with work, which is stupid. But I really do apologize. I never meant for this long wait to happen.

Anyways, I want to thank all my reviewers. You guys are amazing! You truly fuel me to keep going. Knowing that there are people out there wanting to read my story really makes me happy and want to write so that's why I keep going. I really do appreciate all of your reviews.

Anyways, you guys have waited long enough for this chapter and I hope it doesn't disappoint you. Please review!

* * *

**Edward's POV**

I trudged up the stairs to Tanya's front door. I was over an hour later than the time she told me to be there because I "accidentally" lost track of time. I really didn't want to go to this stupid party—but I'm going because Bella is and I want to start going public with our relationship, or at least start trying to. Well, show people that I want to date her since we've never actually gone on a real date.

I couldn't help the smile tugging at the corner of my mouth as I thought about Bella. She is the light of my life. She makes everything better. I can really be myself around her. And all the shit with my past and Elizabeth doesn't seem so bad anymore now that I have Bella. I know that sounds overdramatic, but it's the truth for me. Everything I went through and go through is worth it because it all led me to her.

I sighed, preparing myself for what may lie just inside of the door. I pushed open the door and walked inside. The music was pounding in my ears and the stench of liquor burned my nose. I saw a couple walking up the stairs connected at the mouth. I shuddered thinking about what is going on and what will go on upstairs.

I looked around for the beverage area and noticed there was only alcohol: Jack Daniela, Sky Blue Vodka, Green Apple Smirnoff, and the ever present keg. It always unnerves me, knowing that people never buy anything but alcohol, but whatever. I grabbed a cup and made my way to the kitchen. I filled my cup with water, knowing people would just assume it's vodka because I do this a lot. Everyone thinks I'm a hardcore vodka drinker because my cup is always clear, but that couldn't be more false. I actually don't like to drink. Drinking reminds me of times back when I lived with my real parents. They were always drunk or high or something. I don't ever want to be like them. I'm also not really a drinker. On occasion I may have a drink or beer at a party, but that's very rarely.

I took a sip from my cup and glanced around. Man, people can be really stupid when they drink. Looking at all these people makes me think of the other reasons I don't drink at parties. The main reason is that I have to drive home and I don't want to be stupid and drink and drive. Oh, and there's the fact that everyone acts as either idiots or sluts when they drink and I'd rather not fall under those labels. I looked at the dance floor and saw too many girls acting slutty and trying to be seductive. I rolled my eyes at them and continued scanning the crowd.

I groaned when a girl, I think her name was Brittany, started sliding her hands all over me. She thought it was extremely seductive and enticing, but it was actually making me rather uncomfortable. I grabbed her hands and shook my head. "I'm not interested," I told her.

She looked at me, pouting. "It's too bad; I could make it worthwhile for you."

I grimaced and walked away from her, not even bothering to give her another answer. She clearly had a good amount to drink already and that's not something I'm about. I don't want to be one of those people. Those people that when they're drunk they flirt with everyone, just trying to fuck anyone they're able to. I know that I would never have sex with anyone while they're drunk which is also easy because I would never have sex with any girl that went to my school—save one, but drinking might impair my judgment and I might end up doing something I'll regret.

I stopped my train of thought, realizing that I was really thinking about all the reasons why I don't drink. Today is really not a good day for me to go out. First, Tanya called me at nine in the morning to talk about tonight. She literally gave me a detailed description of everything she was going to be wearing tonight. I wasn't able to talk to Bella today. And to top everything off, Elizabeth decided that I needed a physical reminder that I was to behave tonight.

I shook my head, ridding myself of those thoughts. I did not want to think about Elizabeth tonight.

I took another sip of my drink and scanned the crowd for Bella. I noticed Emmet's burly form grinding with Rose on the dance floor. I spotted Alice and Jasper talking to each other by the food table. I wondered if Bella had decided not to come after all.

"Hey you," a voice purred from behind me.

I turned around and was met by Jessica. I groaned internally as I said, "Jessica."

Jessica smiled coyly at me, no doubt trying to get my attention. She wove her arm through mine and started leading me toward the drinks area. She turned to ask me what I wanted to drink and frowned when she saw I already had a cup with me. Jessica sighed and grabbed a cup of beer. She smiled at me before taking a long sip from her cup. "Edward, I'm really happy you decided to show up tonight."

I gave her a curt nod, "Yeah, me too."

Jessica squealed, a high pitched, attention getting, and annoying screech. "I knew you were excited to see me! I just knew it!"

I shook my head, about to correct her, but I caught myself—I almost said what I was really thinking. Elizabeth would not have liked that and Jess probably would have told Elizabeth. That would not be pleasant. I shuddered thinking of mine and Elizabeth's last encounter. She was getting more…brutal. My body was still aching.

I looked back at Jessica and realized she was speaking. I gave her a half smile, pretending to listen, but I couldn't help but concentrate on how many times she said "like" in her sentences. It was rather annoying.

I looked towards the door when I heard some more people walk in. As I glanced toward the door, my eyes fell upon Bella. I couldn't help the smile that broke over my face when I saw her. She looked amazing. She was wearing short jean shorts with heels. She was also wearing a dark blue shirt that made her complexion appear to glow. She looked absolutely stunning, but I couldn't help but wonder if she was cold. It wasn't very nice outside.

"Edward?! Edward!" I was brought out of my thoughts by Jessica's high irritation voice. I looked back at her and was met by her fierce stare. "Why the hell were you staring at…Bella? Bella Swan of all people!" She laughed. Jessica actually laughed at Bella, at _my_ Bella.

I inhaled angrily, ready to yell at her for what she was implying. But again, I caught myself and prepared to deny what she said I was doing. That wouldn't look good to Elizabeth and Jessica would definitely be the first to go to Elizabeth and tattle on me.

"Don't even try and pretend you weren't staring at her! I saw you! Girls like her don't belong with guys like you." Jessica hissed out, her eyes shooting daggers at the back of Bella's head.

I glared at her. "And, tell me Jessica, what kind of guy am I?"

Jessica smiled sweetly at me, trying to flatter me. "Well, Eddie, you're popular, smart, and incredibly good-looking and sexy," she said this while running her hand up and down my arm. "You're…on a higher level. Bella is at the bottom of the chart; she just doesn't belong with us…with you."

I glared at her. Why was I going through this? I finally have someone who likes the real me; why am I bothering to continue this charade?

Before I could respond, Jessica laughed darkly. "Look at what your little girlfriend is doing right now."

I scanned the crowd for her and found her on the dance floor. Dancing with Mike Newton. His hands were sliding all over her body and she looked like she was having fun. I couldn't believe it. My jealousy ragged inside me as I watched her. Why was she dancing with him? My rational brain screamed at me that she was dancing with Mike because I couldn't dance with her. However, my irrational side saw only betrayal and hurt in her actions.

I turned away from her, my heart aching at the sight of seeing her in the arms of another boy. She doesn't deserve what I'm putting her through. If she's not happy and wants to be with…Mike, I will let her. I just want her to be happy.

But I want her to be happy with me! Maybe there's still a way. Maybe if I tell her everything that's been happening, we'll be able to be a real couple. That's what I'll do! I'll explain everything to her: my past, my true feelings, and about Elizabeth. I'll do it later tonight. But how?

My thoughts were once again interrupted by Jessica's voice. "Edward, why even bother with her? She'll never fit in with us." I looked at her as she placed her hands on my shoulders. "You need to be with someone of your…status. Someone like me." Before I could realize what was happening, her lips were pressed against mine. She began kissing me fiercely while tried to pull away. However, Jessica was not taking the hint. Everything I tried to pull away, she leaned closer.

I finally pushed her away. She was grinning wickedly at me. I glanced over my shoulder to see a pixie-type girl running after a brunette.

_Oh my God._ My face paled when I realized that the pixie girl was Alice and she was running after Bella. Bella saw what just happened. I ruined everything.

What have I done?

I started to make my way to the door with the intention of following after her but my path was blocked by Jasper. I glared at him. "Let me through."

He shook his head. "I can't do that Edward. You need to give Bella a chance to calm down. Besides, she'd only talk to Alice or Rose right now anyways."

I groaned and ran my hands through my hair in frustration. "Fuck! I didn't even want that! Jessica caught me off guard and—"

"Edward, you don't have to explain to me. I saw what happened. I am, however, a guy so I will see the situation as it is. Bella, on the other hand, will see what she sees in the moment. She won't be able to look deeper at the moment because, on the surface, it looks like you betrayed her."

I nodded, it made sense to me, but it didn't stop my heart from breaking. "You know I would never do anything to hurt her," I asked him, begging him to understand.

He looked over my shoulder. "Why don't we go out to the back yard?" I nodded and turned around and saw Jessica and Tanya glaring at me. Jasper and I quickly made our way outside.

I sighed, "I hate my life."

Jasper looked at me questioningly. "Why? You seem to have everything together?"

I laughed. "No, I really don't." I looked at him, judging if I should explain a little more or not. Jasper seemed trustworthy and he believed me about what happened with Jessica. "I don't have any real friends—no people I can truly count on if I need someone. The friends I have are my friends because it's expected that I be friends with them and they be friends with me. I just…feel so alone." I chuckled, "I know I sound melodramatic, but that suits my mood at the moment."

Jasper gave a small smile. "I think I understand what you mean. I used to be a loner—especially when I first moved here. I had friends who would talk to me during school and invite me to parties, but no one I could really count on. Until Alice…well and Bella. But Bella is shy and Alice," he laughed, "Alice just basically told me that they were going to be my new friends and that I was supposed to sit with them at lunch. I pretty much loved her from that first moment we talked. Of course, I didn't act on it until this year, which is something I regret, but it all seems to have worked out okay."

I nodded. "Yeah, I really envy your relationship with Alice. You guys seem like you don't even notice the world around you. It's almost like nothing really phases you guys; it's like you're in your own little world. I wish I could have that with Bella."

He looked at me. "What do you mean, Edward? Why can't you have that with Bella?"

I sighed, "Real life gets in the way. It's just a…complicated situation." I stopped there, hoping he would get the message that I didn't want to elaborate.

Jasper only nodded but said nothing. I've never given Jasper enough credit. He seems to understand and know what you're feeling without you having to say anything. I can see why Bella is friends with him.

"Jasper, what do I do now?"

It was Jasper's turn to sigh. "I'm not entirely sure. Bella's never really been in a relationship like yours before and I don't know how she's going to cope with everything. If I were you, I would just wait and let her come to you—at least try that for a few days. Bella's not one for confrontations, so once she's calmed down, she'll be ready to talk to you."

"Will you…will you try to explain things to her if she won't talk to me? I know it's a lot to ask, but I think I'll need some help," I told him quietly. Truth is, I've never been in a relationship before. Of course, if you ask everyone at school, I have been in multiple relationships. But they've never been real to me.

Jasper half smiled. "Yeah, you will need some help. I'll do my best to talk to her, but I can't guarantee anything. Oh, and I should probably warn you that Emmett will be talking to you as soon as he finds out. He's very protective of Bella," Jasper warned me.

I nodded. "Thanks, Jasper. I really appreciate you not wanting to kill me."

Jasper chuckled. "It's not a problem. You're a good guy, Edward, but I think you need to let Bella in on what's going on with you." I nodded as he looked inside the door. "Now, I must go because Alice just came back and Mike is already on her. God what a prick!" He stated as he made his way to the door. I laughed, agreeing with his statement.

I watched as Jasper made his way across the room and wrapped an arm around Alice, clearly glaring at Newton. Alice wrapped her arms around his waist and looked up at his face as he said something to Mike. Then they turned and walked away from Mike. Jasper still looked upset, which is natural; I would still be upset if anyone—especially Mike—hit on my girlfriend. Alice turned to face him and raised a hand to his cheek. She said something to him that caused him to smile half-heartedly. Alice leaned in and gave him a chaste kiss before they made their way to the dance floor.

I looked away from them, feeling slightly stalkerish because I just watched their entire exchange. However, I couldn't help but wish I could be like that with Bella. I wish that I could stand up to Mike and just wrap my arms around her in public. Fuck, I really messed things up.

I pulled out my phone and dialed Bella's number, praying to God that she would answer. It rang four times before her voicemail came on. Disheartened, I left a voicemail, knowing she wouldn't get it until at least tomorrow because she wouldn't check her phone if she was upset.

"Bella…it's Edward. I know you probably don't want to talk to me right now or have anything to do with me right now, but…I have to tell you that I'm sorry. It's really all just a misunderstanding. I know what it looked like and I'm sorry that I didn't realize what she was doing, but I promise you that I didn't want that. I never did and never will. I only want you. Please just call me back when you can…."

I looked back through the door as I hung up my phone. I realized there was nothing for me at this party anymore, so I decided to leave. I walked around the house, not wanting to talk to anyone more. I walked directly to my car and got in and drove straight to the house. I barely registered I was at Elizabeth's until the porch light came on.

_Great._ Elizabeth was waiting up for me. At least I wasn't past curfew. I made my way out of the car and stumbled into the house. Elizabeth started talking to me, but I just ignored her and went into my bedroom, shutting the door behind me. I just wanted to escape for a little while.

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**Bella's POV**

I ran from the room, out of the house. I needed to get away from…him. I felt the tears in my eyes, but I wasn't going to cry right now. Not when anyone could catch me.

I stopped to take a few deep breaths, allowing Alice to catch up with me. I knew she had seen what happened. It was her gasp that had caused me to turn around and see _it_. Edward kissing Jessica. I thought he hated her—at least that's what he told me. Maybe he's just been lying to me this whole time.

"Oh, Bella," she whispered. She wrapped her arms around me, pulling me into a comforting hug. "Why don't you come and spend the night at my house tonight? You, me, and Rose—we can have a girls night and get your mind off of what happened," she suggested quietly.

I sighed. Alice was being really nice to me and I wanted to go with her, but I would break down in front of them. And that is something that I really didn't want. It's not that my friends wouldn't be supportive—they totally would, it's just…we haven't been going out very long. I'm not even sure I'm his girlfriend. Or was his girlfriend. Truth be told, I don't even know what we are…or were.

I shook my head and smiled sadly at Alice. "Thanks for the offer, Alice, but I just want to go home. I want you guys to have a good night—don't worry about me. I'll be fine."

She nodded. "Okay, but Rose and I are coming over tomorrow. We'll have a spa day and watch lots of movies and eat ice cream and pizza!" Alice told me excitedly.

I forced a smile, laughing hollowly at her enthusiasm. "That sounds like a good plan. Besides, I think there's something I need to do tonight."

Alice raised an eyebrow questioningly and I shook my head at her. "I'll explain tomorrow. That is, if I even follow through with it."

Alice and I said our quick goodbyes and I wandered around trying to find my car. It's dark blue which makes it a little difficult to pick out from all the other dark colored cars at night. I stumbled around in the darkness for a few more minutes before I finally found my car. I got in and sat behind the steering wheel. I laid my head down on the wheel and let the tears fall from my eyes. Why hadn't Edward come after me? I thought he didn't even like Jessica so why was he kissing her? I don't understand. Did I do something wrong?

I groaned and pathetically tried to wipe away the tears that were still falling. I was actually looking forward to tonight. I laughed at the irony of the situation now. I even allowed Alice and Rose to dress me up and give me a makeover. They curled my hair loosely and let it hang around my head and put make up on me—way more than I usually use. After the whole charade, I thought I actually looked good—hot even.

Fuck, Mike definitely thought so. I cringed inwardly thinking of our awkward dance; the one that Alice forced me to do. She threatened that she'd take away all my books for six months if I didn't dance with anyone. I was planning on dancing with Edward. He had this look in his eyes when our eyes connected for that brief moment; it gave me the feeling that he wouldn't shoot me down tonight if I asked him to dance. However, Mike beat me to that. He came right over to me and practically told me that I was dancing with him. Before I could even respond, Alice answered for me telling him that I would love to dance with him. Evil little pixie.

Mike got this huge grin on his face and I couldn't just not dance with him—it would feel like kicking a puppy, an annoying overbearing puppy. Although, a puppy would learn faster than Mike. If you kicked a puppy, they wouldn't come near you anymore. When I told Mike I wasn't interested, he decided that my words meant that he should try harder, constantly ask me out, and never leave me alone. It was really annoying.

Anyways, I normally was worried going to parties because I didn't know many people. But tonight, as soon as I saw Edward's mop of messy, bronze hair, I felt calmer. Just knowing he was here made me feel better. I remembered when he finally noticed I was there; it was funny how he couldn't find me for a while—at least it was funny to me. When our eyes connected, it felt like my stomach lurched up into my throat. His beautiful, piercing emerald eyes gazing so deeply into my own felt like he was seeing straight into my soul. He gave me a gorgeous, crooked smile and I gave him one in return. For that brief moment, I felt like it was only Edward and I in our own little world.

"Fuck!" I half growled, half shouted and slammed my fist on the steering wheel. How could I have been so stupid! I actually really thought he cared about me. He fucking said that—he told me countless times how much I meant to him. But I guess it was just a joke to him: me, us, everything. He and his pals are probably laughing at me—the stupid ignorant nerd who actually thought her and Edward were some sort of an item.

I finally put the keys in the ignition and started my car. I carefully pulled away from the curve and I swore I saw someone, who looked a lot like Edward, get into a silver car, but I'm sure it was just my imagination playing tricks on me. I drove all the way to my house in a daze; I barely registered anything that I passed on the way to my house. I pulled into my driveway, relieved to see my mom's car gone. However, I shouldn't be surprised. She's been gone with Phil more and more frequently. She goes away at least two weekends a month and tends to make them extended weekends. Even when she doesn't go away, it's like she's not here. She completely wraps herself up in her latest hobby, interests, and work.

I got out of my car door, slamming it shut and slammed the front door as well once I made it into my house. I locked it behind me and went up to my room. I kicked off my shoes and fell onto my bed. My sobs took over my body and it shook violently on my bed.

I allowed myself to cry over the loss of Edward. I don't know how long I cried for, but I felt better when I was done. I rolled over onto my back and just stared at my ceiling, trying to sort through this whole mess. I would have to confront him at school on Monday, or at least talk to him. But what would I say?

I looked over at my desk and saw a notebook there. I decided that I should start moving onto that step of this situation. I would have to figure out what to say to him and since I had no desire to talk to Edward, I would write him a letter.

I made my way to the desk and picked up a pen in my trembling hand. I wasn't sure if it was trembling because I was nervous or because I was drained from crying. I took a deep breath and began to compose my letter.

After a while, I read over the entire letter again, making sure it sounded alright.

_Edward  
I don't even know where to begin. Maybe with, "You got me." I really thought you cared about me, but it turns out I was just a joke to you.  
The sad part is that I actually cared about you. I cared about you so much I snuck around for a month with you, pretending not to be a couple in public. I trusted you, telling you about my life—how my mom's never there—and my father, if you can even call him that.  
From the first day we started talking this year, I knew something was different about you. I could see pain and sadness in your eyes; a pain that went deeper than anything I've ever witnessed or seen before. As we grew closer, I noticed that the pain was always there. I know that you've been hiding something from me, from everyone. I never asked you about it because I didn't want to pressure you or make you uncomfortable. I did, however, trust that you would tell me eventually, when you were ready. But I guess that will never be that case since I was just a joke.  
Maybe I'm wrong and you did have a little inkling of feelings toward me. But you didn't show them. You didn't care that it was hurting me to sneak around with you. You didn't trust me enough to tell me what's been bothering you. And you certainly didn't mind kissing Jessica. Hell, you looked like you were enjoying it—you two put on quite the show.  
With all that having been said, I knew that we'd never really last anyways. We just don't belong, Edward. I guess I've known that from the beginning, but I just thought that you were different. You're from the top and I'm from the bottom. Is that why we snuck around? You didn't want people to know who you were going out with. It's alright; I understand. I guess, all things considered, you were nicer than any other popular guy. I just wish you wouldn't have led my on; it would have saved me some pain.  
You see, Edward, I have feelings for you. I truly care about you and think my feelings may grow deeper than that. Those feelings are what caused me to experience such heartache when I saw…what I saw. I hope that one day you can find someone who truly makes you happy and you can be open with.  
__I guess that's all I have to say. I really wish you could have told me the truth about what's been going on between us—no matter what it was. _

_~Bella_

I folded the paper and stuffed it into an envelope. I wrote his name in my horrible scrawl on the outside of the envelope. I threw it down on my desk and walked back over to my bed. I crawled under my covers, not even bothering to shut off my light or changing my clothes. I just laid down and hoped sleep would find me tonight. I didn't want to spend a sleepless night replaying what I saw in my head. Hopefully, sleep would bring some calmness to me; I need it.

***********************************************************************

I sat in my car, breathing deeply. I needed to relax, or at least calm down. Alice and Rose would be waiting for me outside my house if I didn't hurry up. This morning, after I woke up from my ten minutes of sleep, I had the brilliant idea to deliver the letter I wrote to Edward…to Edward.

I had to suck it up, walk up to his door, and deliver the letter. All I had to do was put it into his mailbox; I don't even need to talk to him. But, he does deserve some sort of closure from me. Or at least, some sort of communication from me.

Edward had called me ten times last night. I hadn't answered any of them; I didn't trust myself to talk to him. That's why I'm stalling right now. I don't want to talk to him face to face, hence the letter.

I quietly got out of my car and made my way to his front door. As I was putting the letter in the mailbox, the front door opened. I froze. Elizabeth stood there in the doorway, smiling at me.

"Hello, Bella. What are you doing?" Elizabeth questioned me.

I blushed and pulled out the letter. "I have notes for Edward from trig class. It wasn't necessary he get them now, but I won't be able to drop them off any other time today. That's why I was just going to put them in the mailbox so he would get them later. I didn't want to wake either of you up…" I trailed off, unsure what else to say to her.

She stared at me, a curious and slightly annoyed look on her face. She stepped aside and let me in. "That's very considerate of you, but Edward should be up. I'm sorry, why did you have to drop off the notes now?"

It seemed like she knew I was lying. "Well, we're having a pop quiz sometime during the week; I think it's going to be on Monday or Tuesday, and he forgot to take his copy of our study notes. I didn't want to just leave him to fail."

Elizabeth just nodded and pointed toward the door that led to Edward's room. I let out a shaky breath, a breath I didn't even know I was holding. I lifted a trembling hand to his bedroom door and knocked gently. I was very aware of Elizabeth's stare boring into my back.

"What?" Edward's groggy voice called out.

"May I please come in?" I said quietly. I wasn't even sure if he heard me until I heard him opening the door.

"Bella," he breathed. His voice held a mixture of anxiety, relief, and fear.

I only nodded and walked into his room. He started to hug me, but I shook my head. "Don't," I snapped, my wavering voice taking away from my strong façade.

I saw the hurt flash across his face at my refection. I also noticed that his eyes had circles under them. He was still wearing the clothes he wore to the party last night. It looked like he barely slept. He was probably out all night having fun with…Jessica.

"Edward, I came to give you this," I said as I handed him the letter.

He quirked an eyebrow at me quizzically and then burst into an explanation that I had no intention of listening to. "Bella, I'm so sorry about last night. I didn't even know what she was going to do until it was too late. And I tried—"

I held up my hand to stop him. "I understand, Edward. For some reason unknown to me, you were unable to stop it. And you couldn't come after me," I whispered, tears clogging my throat.

"Bella, I….you…" He was struggling for words. "I'm sorry I didn't come after you…"

I shook my head. "Why didn't you even say hi to me last night?" I demanded angrily. I know he doesn't want to be a public couple, but he could still say hello to me.

He shuffled his feet nervously. "Bella….my life is…complicated. You wouldn't understand."

I glared at him, my anger resurfacing. "I might not understand, but I would still listen to you. You could have at least trusted me enough to know that."

He sighed and my heart broke at his defeated demeanor. "Bella…I wouldn't know where to start. Or how to explain things to you,"

"The beginning would be a good place to start," I said coldly.

He gripped his hair in frustration. "I know, Bella. But I'm not sure I can. I care about you, Bella; I care about you so much it scares me. I'm not sure I can do that, explain things to you. But I don't want to be without you. I just don't know how to open up to you. What can I do?" His green eyes pierced through me, pleading with me.

"Try," I said simply before turning and walking away. I said my goodbyes to Elizabeth and made my way back to my house in silence.

I had finally spoken, and written, what's been on my mind. And it felt like a weight had been lifted off me.

* * *

A/N: What did you think? I know a lot of you didn't want anything bad to happen at the party, but it had to. I know where I want things to go! :)

Please let me know what you thought about it and I want to apologize again for the long delay. Real life sneaks up on you when you least expect it. But to make it up to you, I am almost done with the next chapter—it's over halfway done, so I should be posting it by the end of this weekend. My goal is for tomorrow, but we'll have to see how things go!

Thanks for all your support. I love you all so much! Please review!!


	17. Chapter 17

Hey everyone! I'm finally getting back into a schedule. I am planning on updating this story at least once a week! Thanks so much for sticking with me! I want to thank my reviewers: Fanpyre1994, Edwards-girl-forever-drak, , Werewolf1010, Jaspermytwin, and lifeisruff4. You guys make my life and get me writing and trying to get the chapters out faster! :)

Thanks so much for all of your reviews and support. Onto chapter 17!

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**Edward's POV**

I stared after her, my heart feeling as though it's been torn right out of my chest. I ruined the one thing that was going good for me. Bella made everything better. She was everything to me and now she was gone. Because I was an idiot.

I heard a car door slam off in the distance and assumed it was Bella. My heart ached to go to her, hold her in my arms, and get her to be mine again, but I know that that will never happen.

She doesn't want anything to do with me anymore. I fucked everything up. If I had just been open with her, maybe things would be different right now.

I looked down at the letter that now weighed a ton in my hands. I gently took the letter out of the envelope and opened it with trembling hands. I read the words that she wrote.

_**Edward  
I don't even know where to begin. Maybe with, "You got me." I really thought you cared about me, but it turns out I was just a joke to you.**_

Bella thought she was a joke to me? That I told her I liked her just so I could laugh at her with my friends? My hearts broke a little more as I read on.

_**The sad part is that I actually cared about you. I cared about you so much I snuck around for a month with you, pretending not to be a couple in public. I trusted you, telling you about my life—how my mom's never there—and my father, if you can even call him that.**_

Fuck. She actually cared about me—I always knew that, but seeing it in writing made everything that much worse. She's probably the only person who's ever truly cared about me and, instead of trusting her, I pushed her away.

_**From the first day we started talking this year, I knew something was different about you. I could see pain and sadness in your eyes; a pain that went deeper than anything I've ever witnessed or seen before. As we grew closer, I noticed that the pain was always there. I know that you've been hiding something from me, from everyone. I never asked you about it because I didn't want to pressure you or make you uncomfortable. I did, however, trust that you would tell me eventually, when you were ready. But I guess that will never be that case since I was just a joke. **_

She knew? She could see through the mask and front I put up and see that something was wrong? God damn it! Why can't anything ever go right?

_**Maybe I'm wrong and you did have a little inkling of feelings toward me. But you didn't show them. You didn't care that it was hurting me to sneak around with you. You didn't trust me enough to tell me what's been bothering you. And you certainly didn't mind kissing Jessica. Hell, you looked like you were enjoying it—you two put on quite the show. **_

My broken heart was beating with such ferocity I thought it would crash out of my chest as I read that and realized she was right. I fucked it up from the beginning. I never once discussed anything with her; I just did what I needed to do and forgot to ask her about anything.

_**With all that having been said, I knew that we'd never really last anyways. We just don't belong, Edward. I guess I've known that from the beginning, but I just thought that you were different. You're from the top and I'm from the bottom. Is that why we snuck around? You didn't want people to know who you were going out with. It's alright; I understand. I guess, all things considered, you were nicer than any other popular guy. I just wish you wouldn't have led my on; it would have saved me some pain. **_

I should have seen that coming. Of course that would be what she thought. It did look like I didn't want anyone to know about us. Well, I didn't, but not for the reasons she thought. It was because of what Jessica and her cronies might do to her and what Elizabeth might do if she found out. I should have just told her.

_**You see, Edward, I have feelings for you. I truly care about you and think my feelings may grow deeper than that. Those feelings are what caused me to experience such heartache when I saw…what I saw. I hope that one day you can find someone who truly makes you happy and you can be open with.  
**__**I guess that's all I have to say. I really wish you could have told me the truth about what's been going on between us—no matter what it was. **_

_**~Bella**_

I dropped the letter from my hand as though it had burned me. What the hell have I done? I gripped my hair in frustration and felt my chest tighten. I started choking down breaths as my world crumbled around me. I need to try and calm myself.

I couldn't breathe; it felt like there was a lump in my throat that I couldn't swallow. My eyes started to burn as I felt them fill with water. A few tears fell from my eyes as I fell back onto my bed.

I really fucked up. I messed up the only real friendship I've ever had. Bella hates me.

I felt the water drip onto my hand. I was crying, literally crying. I've never cried before over someone—only after my…dreams.

"Edward!" Elizabeth called, no doubt needing to talk to me. I, however, ignored her. "Edward, get out here right now!" She shrieked. I rolled my still tearing eyes, but didn't answer.

I hear her huff and start walking toward my room. I heard her grab something off the table—shit, she's pissed. I shuddered involuntarily.

She threw open the door and yelled, "What the hell is the matter with you, Edward? I called you twice and you refused—" Elizabeth stopped talking and stared at me for a brief second. "Are you crying? Are you fucking crying?" She sneered out.

I mumbled an answer, no, but she didn't even let me finish. She hauled my up off the bed and slapped me, hard, across the face. "You better not be crying because no son of mine is going to cry!"

That was what made me lose it. I glared at Elizabeth. "I'm not your fucking son! I never have been! You fucking took me from my home!" I screamed at her, not thinking about the consequences.

"Home?" She shouted right back. "You call that shit-hole home? I did you a favor! Look at everything I've done for you and given to you! Look at everything you've accomplished because of me! Look at what you are—the king of your school with a great friends—"

"I never wanted any of this!" I yelled at her. "You chose this life, the life you wanted me to live—you never gave me a fucking choice!"

She slapped me across the face again so hard, I tasted blood. "You are such an ungrateful bastard. You don't follow any of my rules!"

I stared at her, puzzled. I always follow her fucking rules. Even when I don't want to.

She laughed hollowly. "Thought you wouldn't get caught, did you? Jessica called and told me what's been going on between you and Bella." She sighed angrily, "If I'd known this before she came here, I'd have never let that little bitch in here."

"Shut up! Don't talk about her like that—you don't even know her!" I shouted back at her. How dare she talk about Bella, my Bella like that! No, not my Bella anymore.

"She's not good enough for you! She's not even close to being good enough for you. I forbid you to see her ever again!" Elizabeth declared with an evil glint in her eye.

"She doesn't want to see me anymore! Because of you and you're stupid rules, I lost the only good thing that's ever happened to me!" I shouted at her, hating the way my voice broke ad quavered sadly.

Elizabeth just smirked. "I did you a favor. Now, you can be with Jessica. You guys will be such a good couple and I know Jessica's been dying to be with you. I think now's the time," she rambled.

I glared at Elizabeth. "I don't want to be with Jessica. I hate her. She's so fake and obnoxious." I was surprised at my own courage to tell Elizabeth the truth. I've never even talked back to her, and now I'm yelling at her. I guess that's what happens when you can't take it anymore.

"You will be with Jessica because I am telling you too. She's the only one good enough for you at that school," she stated. She looked me directly in the eyes, not hiding the threat. "You'll go out with Jessica…or suffer the consequences.

I stared right back at her. If any other person said those words, I would think they were being overly dramatic. But I knew what Elizabeth was capable of. But I was done being a coward. "No. I'm not going to date her."

Anger flashed like a viper in her eyes. Before I knew what was happening, she whipped me across the arm with her belt—the object she brought with her into my room. I cringed in pain, but allowed no sound to leave my lips. She was not getting that satisfaction from me.

This pissed her off more and she continued to hit me with the belt. She beat me relentlessly with it, hitting ever square inch of my body—except my face. She can't possibly leave evidence of what goes on inside this house. Bitch.

She whipped me over the head, hitting my back. My knees buckled from under me and I couldn't stop myself from falling onto my knees. She hit me a few more times, before walking out of my room, calmly swinging the belt back and forth in her hands.

She slammed the door behind her and I crumpled to the floor in pain. I let myself go. I wallowed in my pain and allowed myself to cry. I cried for my lost life, my parents, my childhood, and most importantly…I cried for my Bella.

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**Bella's POV**

"Please, guys, I really don't want to talk about it anymore," I said to Alice and Rose.

After leaving Edward's, I came back home where Alice and Rose were already waiting for me. Naturally, they wanted me to spill everything that had happened.

I told them everything that has happened since we first started talking. I told them his reasoning for sneaking around ad how I always had this feeling that he was hiding something. I also told them about what Edward said about those skanks and how it contradicted with what he did. I even told them about the letter I wrote ad gave to him. Both of them were shocked and gave me a lot of credit for actually going through with it. They didn't think I'd have the courage to do it—they didn't think they would.

We, meaning mostly Alice and Rose, discussed everything at length and analyzed everything. The reached several conclusions.

One, they decided that he was hiding something, not only from me, but from everyone. They asked me about his home life and I told them that he never talked about it and I've only ever seen and talked to Elizabeth two or three times. She gave me a weird vibe—almost like she was judging me or trying to intimidate me out of her house. Edward never liked me at his house when she was home. After explaining all this to them, it cemented their idea that something wasn't right.

This brings me to their second point. They think he has trust issues. When they brought this up, I retorted very maturely, "No shit, Sherlock." I would know that he had trust issues—he didn't fucking trust me enough to just talk to me. God, that still pissed me off. I mean, I opened up to him more than anyone; yes, I told him more than Alice and Rose. But that was because he just listened to me and didn't feel compelled to always make a statement. I love Alice and Rose, but I just wish they would just listen instead of always have to talk through everything.

Anyways, they came up with numerous points—I stopped paying attention. My mind started drifting toward Edward. I wondered what he was doing right now…if he was okay. It's true, even though he hurt me, I still care about him. I really think I could love him; well, could have loved him.

I glanced at the clock, dragging my thoughts away from Edward. It was close to seven now and they've been here since ten. And all they want to talk about is Edward and Edward and me. Frankly, I was tired of talking about it, about everything. I just wanted to take a hot shower and curl up in my bed, shutting out the world completely before I had to face it tomorrow.

I groaned, loudly. I sighed as I realized that neither Alice nor Rose heard my attempt at stopping the Edward conversation. I tried a different tactic. "Guys," I called out, pleased when they gave their attention to me. "I really appreciate you guys being here ad talking with me and helping me through everything. But, I'm really exhausted because I didn't sleep very well last night…" I trailed off, knowing they understood where I was going.

Alice rushed to me, pulling me into hug. "Oh, Bella! I should have noticed sooner!"

"Yeah, sorry Bella. We'll leave you to rest," Rose said sweetly, giving me a hug as well. "I'll see you tomorrow."

Alice nodded. "Don't hesitate to call me if you need anything, okay? We're always here for you." She gave my hand a quick squeeze before following Rose outside.

I watched as they walked out the door together, reveling in the silence. I crossed to the door and locked it. I was home alone again; hopefully my mom would come home tomorrow.

That's another thing that's upsetting me: how my mom's never home anymore. I understand that Phil is her husband, but I'm her fucking daughter. Shouldn't she want to spend time with me?

I guess I'm not good enough for anyone. My own mother doesn't want to spend time with me. And Edward…he might not have even wanted me from the beginning.

I trudged up the stairs, wallowing in my own self-pity. I felt like I wasn't good enough. No one wanted me.

I stripped off my clothes as the bitter, angry tears fell from my eyes. I jumped into the shower, the hot water mixing with my own tears.

After my quick shower, I crawled into bed. There, I shed more tears—not only for Edward and me, but also for my mom, my father, and everything that's ever gone wrong in my life.

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A/N: I know it's a little shorter and mostly a filler chapter, but I needed this in here. I debated whether having Bella and Jasper talk in this chapter or the next, and I decided I'd rather have them talk face to face than on the phone.

Anyways, please review and let me know what you think! Next chapter will have a Bella/Edward interaction—I promise! :)


	18. Official Hiatus Notice

Hello to all the readers of Hidden Feelings.

I would like to apologize for this message. I promise you I have been trying very hard to work on this story; however, I cannot seem to get inspired by this story right now. I feel like the more I try to write it, the less I feel like writing it. I have also been extremely into the Jasper/Alice pairing and have been writing stories and one-shots for them.

I really don't want to give up on this story, but I feel like if I don't truly take a break and stop trying to work on it for a while, I will give up and not even want to work on it anymore. I really do like this story and want to finish, but I just can't right now.

So, as of right now, this story is officially on hiatus. I can't really focus on it and it's not fair to you guys to make you wait. I can promise you though that I will finish this story--we've come so far to end it now; I just don't know when. I am truly sorry for this and hope that you all will understand. Most of you are writers and when you're just not inspired you're just not inspired. I'm hoping that if I let myself get carried away with the other stories on my mind right now, my inspiration for this story will come back.

Thank you for sticking with me and I apologize again.

~tutriceange


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